"LC WX GU 
AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
Vol. IV. — NOVEMBER, 1870. —No. 9. 
THE HABITS AND MIGRATIONS OF SOME OF THE 
MARINE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
BY JAMES H. BLAKE. 
Fig. 108. 
The Mackerel, Scomber vernalis. 
THE part of Natural History relating to the habits of 
fishes is far behind other branches of this study, compara- 
tively little being known of this interesting subject. The 
reason of this is plainly understood when we consider how 
small is the number of persons interested in such studies, 
who have the opportunity of observing the fishes a sufficient 
length of time to enable them to gain any great amount of 
information concerning them. Those who have the oppor- 
tunity for gathering such information are of the class who 
look more to the financial profit from this business than to 
the benefit in knowledge they may gain. There is fortu- 
nately another class of individuals; who, while striving for 
their own maintenance, are careful to record the numerous 
he Diet 
Entered accordins to A , fa a 1970. bw the P Acapemy or Science. in th 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. IV. 65 (513) 
