FISHES. 197 



head from him, and, with the splitting-lcnife, splits them down the centre of the back. 

 As fast as he splits the fish, he tosses them into the tray of the 'gibbers.' The 'gib- 

 bers ' protect their hands with gloves or mittens. As fast as the ' gibbers ' remove the 

 viscera, with a peculiar double motion of the thumb and fingers of the right hand, 

 they throw the fish into barrels, which are partially filled with water ; these are called 

 ' wash-barrels.' If the men have time, they ' plow ' the fish before salting them, 

 making a gash in the abdominal cavity, nearly to the skin, with the peculiar knife, ' the 

 plow,' provided for the purpose. Before the fish are salted, the dirty water is poured 

 out, and clean water is added. About one barrel of salt is used for every four barrels 

 of mackerel. This is the first salting. When the fish have been salted, they are 

 placed in unheaded barrels, until the weather is unfit for fishing, or the deck is filled 

 with them, when they are carefully heaped up, and stowed away below." 



Later, the fishes are graded. The details of this selection vary in the different 

 states, but in Massachusetts there are five qualities which are called Nos. 1, 2, 3 

 large, 3, and 4, commencing with the best, and grading downwards. Grade " Number 

 One " is reserved for mackerel of the best quality, and must be unmutilated, free from 

 rust, taint or other damage, and not less than thirteen inches in length, from the snout 

 to the fork or crotch of the tail ; " Number Two " are likewise free from damage, and 

 measure not less than eleven inches in length ; " Number Three large " is composed of 

 those that remain, if free from taint or damage, which measure not less than thirteen 

 inches in length ; " Number Three," also undamaged, must be not less than ten inches 

 long ; " Number Four " includes all other mackerel free from taint or damage. In 

 addition to these regular grades, required by the law, dealers are accustomed to resort 

 the legal- grades into other combinations, " Extra One," " Extra Two," and "Mess 

 mackerel." " Mess mackerel are made from any grade, but principally from numbers 

 Two and One fish, free from the heads and tails, and with the blood scraped off." 



We must now hasten to the consideration of other members of this interesting 

 family. 



Two other species of mackerel occur, but much less abundantly, along the eastern 

 coast. They are nearly related to each other, and contrast with the commercial 

 mackerel in the possession of several characters in common ; an air-bladder is present, 

 and moderately well developed ; the head, above, has a large conspicuous area, trans- 

 parent in life, but which, in alcohol, assumes a whitish ajjpearanoe ; the scales about 

 the pectoral fin are enlarged, and form a sort of corselet, and the dorsal spines are 

 reduced in number to nine, or, rarely, ten. /Scomber pneumatophorus and Scomber 

 colias are the scientific names whicli have been given to the two species of this sec- 

 tion. They have been confounded under the popular names chub-mackerel, tinker- 

 mackerel, easter-mackerel, &c., and frequently they may be mistaken for the common 

 mackerel. The Scomber pneumatophorus has the sides below sih'ery, and destitute 

 of spots. The Scomber colias has the sides below marked by very numerous, roundish 

 or oblong, dusky olive blotches. 



The Scomber colias, in addition to the names just mentioned, rejoices in several 

 others, such as big-eyed mackerel, and bull iiinckerel ; from Scomber scombrus it is 

 readily distinguishable by the row of roundish or sub-circular spots upon the sides, 

 below the lateral line, and it is considerably smaller than the commercial species. It 

 is very erratic in its movements, at some periods coming upon the American coasts in 

 immense numbers, and then again it may be entirely absent for years. 



Frigate-mackerel is a popular name, borrowed from the Bermudians, that has been 



