MACKEREL-FISHING. W3 



light, and partly loses the brilliancy of its hues. Like all other 



members of the family, it is extremely voracious, and makes 



great havoc among the herring-shoals, although its own length 



is only from twelve to sixteen inches. It inhabits the northern 



Atlantic, and is caught in large numbers along the British coast, 



where it is preceded in its 



annual visit by the Gar-fish, 



which for this reason has 



received also the name of 



Mackerel-guide. The older 



naturalists ascribed to the 



mackerel the same distant Gar-Fish. 



migrations as to the tunny, 



but most probably it only retires during the winter into the 



deeper waters, at no very great distance from the shores, 



where it appears during the summer season in such incalculable 



numbers. 



The mackerel is caught with long nets or by hand-lines. It 

 bites greedily at every bait, but generally such a one is preferred 

 as best represents a living prey darting through the water — 

 either some silvery scaled fish, or a piece of metal, or of scarlet 

 cloth. With swelling sails the boat flies along, and a sharp 

 wind is generally considered so favourable that it is called 

 a " Mackereh-breeze." The line is short, but made heavy 

 with lead, and in this manner a couple of men can catch 

 a thousand in one day. The more rapid the boat the 

 greater the success, for the mackerel rushes like lightning 

 after the glittering bait, taking it for a flying prey. The 

 chieftains of the Sandwich Islands used to catch the bonito 

 mackerels in a similar way, by attach- 

 ing flying-fish to their hooks, and ra- 

 pidly skimming the surface of the waters. 

 Thus everywhere man knows how to 

 turn to his advantage the peculiar in- 



° . . Bomto. 



stincts or habits of the animal creation. 



The author of " Wild Sports of the West " has favoured us 

 with an animated description of mackerel-fishing on the coast 



of Ireland. 



" It was evident that the bay was full of mackerel. In every 

 direction, and as far as the eye could range, gulls and puffins 



