196 
AMERICAN FISHES . 
The only other spotted fish which has been known to frequent our coast 
is the “ chub mackerel ” or “ thimble eye,” a species closely allied to the 
common mackerel, but smaller, and distinguished by having larger eyes 
and less distinct dorsal markings, as well as by other characters. This 
was the “ Spanish Mackerel ” of New England fifty years ago. Its name 
must have come to it from the “Spanish Mackerel” of England, the 
Scomber colias , described by Gmelin, with which, indeed, some authori¬ 
ties believe it to be identical, and which also is very similar to the 
common mackerel, Scomber scombrus , though smaller, with fewer stripes 
upon its back, and with circular spots of grey or brown upon the white 
sides, which in the common mackerel are pearly and immaculate. The 
question of the identity of the Spanish Mackerel of New England, with 
that of Old England, is not likely to be decided at present, for the former 
has entirely deserted our waters, though at one time extremely abundant. 
The origin of the name “Mackerel” is in itself a curious subject of 
inquiry. Certain authorities derive it from the Old French maquereau , 
signifying a pander or go-between, from a popular tradition in France, 
that the Mackerel in spring follows the female shads which are called 
vierges , and leads them to their mates. Skeat and other modern ety¬ 
mologists reject this idea, and decide that the name comes from the Latin 
mcicus or mac a , signifying a spot or stain. 
Still another theory is advocated by Dr. C. D. Badham, in his “ Prose 
Halieutics.” 
“ The word Mackerel is one of very old standing in our own vocabulary, 
and has most probably a northern origin ; but whether this be so or not, 
both the usually assigned Greek and Latin etymologies are equally inad¬ 
missible ; the Greek, which, either from the excellence of the flesh, its 
own personal happiness, or that which it confers on so many Mackerel- 
eaters, would conjure Mackerel from fiakaptOQ is obviously untrue, and 
particulary chappy; nor is Mackerel ( quasi macularius,’ i. e. the spotted, 
in lieu of what it is, a striped fish, a less unfortunate attempt to fish out a 
meaning from the Latin. If we are to adopt any etymology where all are 
doubtful, Aldrovandi’s t magarellos seu nacarellos e corporis nacritudine,’ 
seems the most plausible; the shot, lustrous surface of the belly and sides 
is certainly nacreous ; while we are distinctly taught in our Church cate¬ 
chism that in regard to a name, an M or N are indifferent, and in fact the 
change of one of these liquids into the other never offers any real difficulty 
in etymology. Touching the nomenclature of that particular kind called 
sometimes Spanish, sometimes Horse-Mackerel, though the latter adjunct 
