SCOMBRIML 103 



a scries of broad bars descend down the upper half of the sides of the fish, which 

 are most distinct in the young and frequently lost with age. The first dorsal fin 

 nearly black, in large examples the posterior spines are white: second dorsal 

 yellowish, with a dark upper half and wdiite summit : caudal and pectoral black : 

 lower fins yellow with dark markings. 

 Names. — Pelamid and helied honito. 



Habits. —Said to be very waiy, and arrives off the coasts of Sicily in great 

 abundance during the spring, and likewise in the autumn, -when many are 

 captured. This fish is a rapid swimmer, and has been seen springing into the air 

 after its prey. In September, 1836, in very fine weather, with the sea smooth, 

 a large number of fishes, which Couch considered to be of this species, were 

 perceived in pursuit of sauries, and the same has happened on other occasions. 



Means of capture. — In Sicily, according to Rafinesque, they are frequently 

 taken in the spring by the tunny fishers. Off the British coasts they are 

 occasionally secured along with the mackerel and their allies. 



As food. — In Sicily, Rafinesque stated, they were held in even more estimation 

 than the tunnies ; while they are salted and prepared in a similar manner to the 

 latter, and are of considerable mercantile importance. 



Habitat. — This fish is abundantly spread throughout the Mediterranean to the 

 Black Sea, and also through the Atlantic Ocean, extending along the shores of 

 North America from Cape Cod to Eloi'ida, arid iu the Eastern Hemisphere from 

 Scandinavia (Malm), Holland (Hubrecht), and the British coasts so far as the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



In June, 1859, an example 22^ inches in length, and 4 lb. 6 oz. in weight, was 

 captured at North Esk in a salmon bag-net, and is now in the Montrose Museum 

 (Cray, Ann. and Mag. (3) iv, p. 309) : in 1860, on Deceniber 4th, one, 14 inches 

 long, was secured at Swanage in Dorsetshire, and is figured in Couch ; in August, 

 i^77, one, 17 inches long, and weighing 2 lb. was taken in a ground seine at 

 Mevagissey (Gatcombe, Zool. p. 452). 



It is evident that many more examples of this fish have been captured but 

 recorded under a wrong name. Couch in his appendix, under the designation of 

 short-finnea-twany, figures this species from an example taken in a drift net on 

 August 18th, 1865, by Mr. Dunn, of Mevagissey, and states that within a week 

 another example was secured in the same manuer by a fisherman at Polperro, and 

 in the first week in September three more. The first was only 6 inches from the 

 snout to the fork of the tail, and the three last only reached to the length of 8 

 inches. This leads to the conclusion that the fishes placed by Mr. Dunn under 

 the name of short finned tunnies were really pelamids, he having been led into 

 i Ins error by Mr. Couch who fortunately figured one of Mr. Dunn's examples. 

 He observes that in the year 1865 young specimens were plentiful, several were 

 caught at Mevagissey, Polperro, Gqrran, and Portloe. 



Dunn observes of the pelamid, that " it is rare now. I never saw but two ; their 

 easts are in the South Kensington Museum. They probably might have been 

 more plentiful in the past. Some of our old men speak of catching mackerel of 

 7 Ik weight on plummet lines; no doubt they -were pelamids. Nearly all the 

 fishermen who saw my specimens called them mackerel." The casts, which I have 

 examined, are those of Pelavrvys sarda. 



ii is remarkable how this fish has become mistaken for the "short finned 

 tunny, " even so early in the history of Ichthyology as seen in Willughby, 1686, 

 p. 180, who was followed by various authors. 



Mr. Cornish is unable at this distance of time to give further information as to 

 whether the Following fishes were " short finned bunnies" or "pelamids;" ho 

 observed, however, in L868 that the dorsal fin rays did not agree with Couch's 

 description and figure, hut did not note the points of difference. Ho recorded 

 (Zoologist, 1868, p. L263) one captured at Penzance, August 20th, 8-jfe inches in 

 length: in L877 (I.e. p. 452), another 19.V inches long, and in August, 1880, a 

 third, 2d inches in length and weighing 6 lb. (1. c. p. 360). This last was so like 

 a mackerel thai a casual observer might well have taken it for a giant mackerel. 

 It never reaches the size attained by the haver tunnies, 3 feet in length being 

 the maximum recorded size. 



