278 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



except that the fly is allowed to sink after flutter- 

 ing it awhile on the surface ; no other special 

 suggestions are needed. I have found the follow- 

 ing flies useful: gray drake, green drake, red 

 ibis, oriole, professor, and silver doctor, in black- 

 bass patterns, on hooks Nos. i to 3. 



THE CERO 



(Scomberomorus regalis) 



The cero, or sierra, was described by Bloch, in 

 1795, from a drawing of a specimen from the 

 West Indies, by Plumier. He named it regalis, 

 meaning "royal" or "regal." It belongs to the 

 West Indian fauna of fishes, and is common from 

 Florida to Brazil. Occasionally it strays in the 

 summer as far north as Massachusetts. It is 

 closely allied to the Spanish mackerel, and re- 

 sembles it in form, but differs very much in color- 

 ation and size, being more sombre and much 

 larger. Its color is brownish on the back, with 

 silvery sides and belly; it is marked with two 

 dusky longitudinal stripes, and several rows of 

 dark spots, not bronze or golden as in the Spanish 

 mackerel. 



I have met with the cero only along the Florida 

 reefs and keys. It does not swim in such large 



