1406 Fishes. 



When living it is brilliant in its green shades, from a light to a brown- 

 ish tint : the belly is of a silvery white, with interrupted brown lines 

 running from before to behind. This species is smaller than the com- 

 mon bream, and more frequently lives among rough or rocky ground. 

 It is a very powerful fish on the line, and is remarkable for being ex- 

 ceedingly fat. Like the other breams it feeds on Crustacea, and 

 browses on the sea-weed. The intestines are long, and the molar 

 teeth well fitted for grinding. 



The other breams found in the Cornish seas, are 



Ray's Bream, Brama Rail. Two specimens of which have been 

 taken at Polperro, and the late Mr. Chirgwin informed me that one 

 had been taken near the Runnel Stone, on the western part of Mount's 

 Bay. 



Couch's Sea Bream, Orphus Rondeletii, vel Pagellus Rondeletii. 

 The capture of this fish is noticed in trie *- Zoologist,' (Zool. 81). 



Short Sea Bream, Pagellus curtus. The particulars of this fish, 

 with a figure will be found in the ' Zoologist,' (Zool. 393). 



Next to the pilchards, the most important fish to the fishermen, is 

 the mackerel, for more hands are employed, and more capital 

 is embarked in its capture than on any other. The Scomberidce, 

 though few in numbers, as it regards species, appear on our shores in 

 countless multitudes, and are very remarkable for the brilliancy of 

 their colouring, elegance of their shape, and the rapidity of their 

 movements, and the common mackerel may be taken as the perfection 

 of the class. 



When buxom Spring's luxuriant airs inspire 



The softer wish, and blow the genial fire, 



The Mackerel rushing from the Atlantic deep, 



In midland seas with us their nuptials keep. — Oppian. 



Common Mackerel, Scomber scombrus. This species is too well- 

 known to require any notice of its specific characters, and too highly 

 valued as food to require anything to be said in its praise, I shall, 

 therefore, merely refer to its habits. They are remarkably active as 

 swimmers, and very voracious as feeders. They always remain on our 

 coasts, for during 1845, I saw and examined one or more specimens 

 in every month of the year, and I have seen them during many other 

 years equally through each month. They do not, therefore, perform 

 those extensive migrations which some authorities describe with such 

 wonderful minuteness. The size of the schulls which occur on our 

 shores varies very much, but their migrations have occurred for many 



