294 SCOMBEROIDES. 



nineteen, dorsal nine and twelve, anal thirteen, and 

 caudal twentythree rays, though not invariably. 

 Probably age adds to the strength, and in fact 

 completes the growth of some of the soft rays. 



Spring Mackerel, — Scomber Vernalis. We 

 have long been in doubt about the existence of 

 this fish, but on the whole, conclude that it really 

 differs from the common mackerel. In the first 

 place, it is truly beautiful, being elegantly propor- 

 tioned, from ten to sixteen inches in length, and 

 two and a half, or thereabouts, through the shoul- 

 ders ; waving stripes of a rich blue, emerge from 

 the dark color of the back and wind .under the 

 abdomen, where they are lost ; the interstices be- 

 tween the bands are of a changeable red, mixed 

 with green ; the caudal fin is forked, and spreads 

 either way to the extent of more than three inch- 

 es, supported on the outer edges by spines. 



On the ventral fins, early in the spring, are cloud- 

 ed blackish spots ; the eyes have a night or nicti- 

 tating curtain, moved over the cornea it would 

 seem, as in birds. We are not, however, precise- 

 ly certain that this is the fact. Only a very few 

 of these visit the shore further north than Salem 

 and its neighborhood. There are six rays in the 

 branchial, seventeen in the pectoral, five in the 

 ventral, ten or twelve in the dorsal, twelve in the 



