106 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
finely ciliated, being fringed with small, short bristles, 
which are dentiform but soft, each of them externally 
seeming to form the extremity of a fine stria. Within 
the stria is a nerve-fibre, and the bristles thus serve 
as organs of touch. They are probably connected with 
the system of the lateral line. The corslet consists of 
larger scales than that of the preceding species; the 
scales of the body, indeed, seem throughout to have 
suffered less reduction, as distinct, though small, scales 
cover the hind part of the body as ivell. In the upper 
part of the axil of the pectoral fins we find one mem- 
branous flap, which is, however, fairly narrow, along 
the outside of the postclavicular bone, and another 
which runs down the inside of the fin. These flaps 
correspond to the membrane which in Brama extends 
throughout the inside of the pectoral fin. and carries 
the peculiar scaly formations we have already noticed. 
The lateral line forms several undulating curves at its 
commencement, behind the head, and then advances 
beneath the second dorsal fin nearer the dorsal edge 
than in the preceding species. The dark, transverse 
bands on the back, easily recognisable as traces of a 
juvenile stage of development in the whole Mackerel - 
type, most often completely vanish with age, but may 
also be long retained. The oblique, but parallel, longi- 
tudinal streaks on the back are usually 7 in number, 
but may also be as many as 10. The superior ones 
are sometimes branched posteriorly. 
A fuller comparison with the preceding species 
may be made by the help of the following table, 
which I have based partly on Collett's statements 
and partly on measurements of the specimens in the 
Royal Museum": 
Average in 3 
Minimum 
in these 3 
Maximum 
in these 3 
specimens of 
specimens of 
specimens of 
Sarcla 
Sarda 
Sarda 
Sarda 
Sarda 
Sarda 
unicolor. 
pelamis. 
unicolor. 
pelamis. 
unicolor. 
pelamis. 
Length of the body in millimetres 
519 
456 
513 
423 
610 
515 
„ „ „ head „ % of the length of the body - - 
22.2 
25.9 
21.8(b) 
24.9(s) 
22.7(m) 
27.4(m) 
Diameter „ „ eye „ „ „ „ „ „ „ head. 
13.6 
13.6 
13.s(j) 
12.5(b) 
14.o(s) 
14.4(m) 
77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 SllOllt 
37.7 
40.5 
35.7 (j) 
37.2(b) 
40.o(s) 
44. 7 (m) 
Distance from the first dorsal fin to the tip of the snout in % of the length of the body.. 
23.9 
(26.9) 
23.5(m) 
(26.6 s) 
24.5(j) 
(27.1 j) 
77 77 ?? secoud ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 
(48.3) 
(57.4) 
— 
(55.8 s) 
— 
(59.i j) 
Height of the first dorsal in % of the length of the body 
11.4(F) 
(9.i) 
(9.7 F s) 
(8.9 s) 
12.60) 
(9.3 j) 
55 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 55 77 77 llC‘ld - 
51.3(F) 
(35.o) 
44.3 ?(s) 
(54.0 j) 
57.5(j) 
(36.o s) 
second body 
9.i 
(7.o) 
8-80) 
(7.o j) 
9.8(s) 
(7.i s) 
Length „ „ .. — - - 
T2.i 
(10.3) 
ll.S(m) 
(9.i s) 
12.40) 
(11-6 j) 
Base „ „ anal „ „ „ „ „ „ „ ,, 
10.6 
7.9 
10. 3 (m) 
7-T(j) 
10.90) 
8.1(8) 
Height }» 77 55 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 
9.7 
6.3 
9. 5 (in) 
5.o(s) 
9.8(B) 
7.0(m) 
Length „ „ pectoral „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ 
13.0 
10.9 
12.8(j) 
10.G(j) 
13.1(b) 
11.4(m) 
77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 hefid 
58.5 
42.i 
57.i(m) 
41.6(m) 
60.1(b) 
43.0(b) 
„ „ „ ventral „ „ „ „ „ „ body. 
(5.2) 
(7.7) 
— 
7.7 
- 
7.7 
• „ „ „ „ „ „ „ pectoral 
41. o(?) 
(70.3) 
40.0(a) 
(67.3 s) 
42.o(j) 
(73.3 j) 
Distance from the ventral to the tip of the snout in % of the length of the body 
(27.0) 
(29.4) 
— 
(29.3 s) 
— 
(29.5 j) 
Length of the ventral in % of the distance from them to the tip of the snout .. 
(19.5) 
(26.3) 
— 
(26.2 s) 
— 
(26.4 j) 
Distance from the anal to the tip of the snout in % of the length of the body 
(60. o) 
(65.i) 
— 
(64.2 s) 
— 
(66.o j) 
Greatest depth of the body in % of the length 
(22.6) 
(22.o) 
— 
(21.7 j) 
— 
(22.3 s) 
Length of the head in % of the distance from the first dorsal to the tip of the snout 
92.8 
(98.7) 
90.o(j) 
(93.9 j) 
96. 7 (in) 
(103.5 s) 
7 7 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 SCCOIld ,, j, ,, ,, 
(45.1) 
(46.i) 
— 
(43.2 j) 
— 
(49.i s) 
The Stripe-backed Pelamis is a common fish in the 
Mediterranean, where, like the larger members of the 
family, it chases the Herrings, Sauries, and Garpike, 
often leaping out of the water after its prey. It is 
often taken in Sicily during the Tunny-fishery, and as 
an article of food is highly esteemed, whether fresh, 
a In this table j denotes the smallest specimens, s the largest and m those of average size. The brackets indicate that the measure- 
ments in question have been made on only two specimens, or even one. 
