128 ACANTHOPTERYGII. — SCOMBRID^^E. 
whether as regards compact gracefulness of form, I 
brilliancy and diversity of colours, or the elegance 
with which the different hues are arranged, har- 
monized, or contrasted. Perhaps the whole of 
the great Class of vertebrate animals which form 
the subject of this volume, cannot show a more 
perfect example of elegance and beauty than the 
Common Mackerel, whose history we shall now j| 
proceed to delineate in detail. 
I 
Genus Scomber. (Linn.) ’ 
The distinguishing characters of the Mackerels 
proper are the following : The body is spindle- 
shaped, or swelling in the middle and gracefully 
tapering to each extremity ; it is uniformly 
covered with small smooth scales, which do not 
extend to the fins. The extremity of the tail 
is furnished with two slight ridges on each side. 
There are two dorsals, remote from each other, 
the second of which, as well as the anal, is fol- 
lowed by a number of small triangular finlets ; 
the caudal is high, narrow, and crescent-shaped. 
The gill-covers are not armed with either spines 
or denticulations ; the gill-rays are seven ; there 
is a single row of small conical teeth in each jaw. 
Twd, if not three species of this restricted 
genus are taken on the shores of Britain, of 
which the most abundant is the well-known and 
valuable Common Mackerel, [Scomber scomber^ 
Linn.), to the beauty of which we have already j 
alluded. It is about fifteen inches in length ; 
the colour of the upper parts is of a brilliant 
green, varied with rich blue, and crossed by a 
great number of narrow black bands; these are | 
