152 PHYSOSTOML 



caudal fin. Pectoral as long as two-thirds the height of the body, its posterior 

 margin somewhat concave. Ventrals inserted midway between the angle of the 

 month or the front edge of the eye and the posterior end of the candal fin, 

 the latter being deeply forked. Scales — a somewhat keel-like edge commences on 

 either side of the fish on a level with the lower edge of the gill-covers, and 

 passes along the entire length of the body. Scale-like appendages over the 

 middle of the base of the candal fin. Colours — back of a deep rich bine, below 

 which is a broad burnished and shining silvery band, having a dark lower edge, 

 abdomen silvery : npper fins dark coloured, lower ones and pectoral yellowish. 



The evolution of the jaws in this fish is much the same as described in the 

 gar-pike (see page 149). 



Varieties. — Valenciennes separates the Mediterranean from the oceanic form 

 under the belief that the former has no air-bladder. Prof essor\ Liitken (Spolia 

 Atlantica) has shown however that this organ may be present in the Mediterranean 

 forms. Moreau observes that it may be absent. As no other differences exist 

 except this inconstant one I have not considered them to denote distinct species. 



Names. — Skipper : saury : saury-pike : skip-jack : skopster : halion. In Scot- 

 land, gowdnook : gosnick : Egyptian herring. 



Habits. — Gregarious, migratory, in the summer being mostly at or near the 

 surface, but during the autumn frequenting deeper water : it is usually found 

 further out to sea than the gar-fish, while it has an extensive range : instances are 

 on record in which it has ascended rivers as high as fresh-water. It first appears 

 off Cornwall about the latter half of June or commencement of July, and in the 

 autumn frequently shows itself in enormous schools ; while it leaves the coast 

 prior to the end of November. It is constantly in motion, moving with great 

 rapidity, frequently springing out of the water by scores at a time and giving 

 much the appearance of a shoal of flying fishes. It has been frequently known 

 to spring oat of the water into the fishermen's boats, especially during stormy 

 weather. Mr. Dunn considers the skippers as natural enemies to the pilchards : 

 Couch held the same views. In the year 1825 skippers and pilchards were 

 enclosed in pilchard seines together, and before they could be taken into the 

 boat, thousands of the pilchards had their eyes knocked out by the skippers, and 

 scores of pilchards were transfixed through the body by the beak of the skipper. 

 The fishermen were first made aware of these fishes being on the coast by the 

 noise they were making in the night, the one attacking, the other running away. 

 This battle continued more or less along the coast each summer from 1825 to 

 1834. The fishermen consider the presence of the skipper is an hindrance to the 

 successful taking of the pilchard. Entomostraca, small Crustacea, and sea-weed 

 have been found in its stomach. 



Means of capture. — In Cornwall they are frequently taken in July and August 

 in numbers by drift nets a few leagues from the shore : R. Couch observed that he 

 had seen 8000 enclosed in one pilchard seine net. The largest catch of these 

 fishes at Mevagissey, where they are annual visitors, has been 100,000 (Dunn). 



Baits. — It has been taken with a bait. 



Breeding. — The eggs of the Scombresox saurus are furnished externally with 

 filaments as in the gar-fish (page 146), while the life-histories of the two are also 

 very similar, but the young of the skipper appear to be found further out to sea, 

 and the base of the maxilla is more concealed by the preorbital. Liitken (Spolia 

 Atlantica) p. 567 has figured the heads of this species from a very early age up 

 to that of the full-grown, showing how the jaws are gradually evolved, the 

 disproportion between the length of the two being much less than occurs in 

 Belone. 



As food. — Said to be fair. 



Habitat. — Atlantic coasts of Europe, Africa, and North America. Also the 

 Mediterranean. 



Low observed that last year (1775) such a glut of these fish set into the 

 head of Kerston Bay, that they could be caught in pailsful ; numbers were taken 

 and heaps flung ashore. They were from 9 to 12 inches long, and had not been 

 observed there previously. Low considered they had been driven out of their 



