CHAPTER XIX 

 THE MACKEREL 



DIFFICULT as it is to speak dogmatically upon 

 such a subject, especially in view of the some- 

 what chaotic condition of our knowledge of 

 oceanic ichthyology (hateful term), I feel fairly con- 

 fident of my position in calling the Mackerel family 

 the largest in the world of fishes. That is, I believe 

 that there are more varieties of Mackerel than of any 

 other kind of fish, and wider distribution of them, 

 unaided as it is by the same set of conditions which 

 permit many species of fish inhabiting the profound 

 depths of ocean to be almost universal as regards the 

 sea. I do not know of any members of the family 

 who frequent rivers or lakes. 



The head of the family, and from point of size 

 the very king of fishes, the albacore, tuna, or tunny, 

 I have already exhaustively dealt with, as also the 

 bonito, the skip-jack, and the pilot-fish. So that in 

 the following remarks these members of the great 

 Mackerel family will, except for by-allusions, be left 

 severely alone. But even so, there still remain such 

 a sufficient number of fairly well-known varieties to 

 be dealt with, as to make it necessary to condense 

 the information greatly in order to keep it virithin 

 bounds. 



Naturally the place of honour falls to the Mackerel, 

 whose name is a household one among us, and who 

 is always quoted fondly (but with what truth I do not 



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