Can any of your numerous contributors, who may be lovers of ichthyology,
inform me whether or not the mackerel is blind when it first arrives on our
coasts? I believe it to be blind, and for the following reasons:--A few
years ago, while beating up channel early in June, on our homeward-bound
voyage from the West Indies, some of the other passengers and myself were
endeavouring to kill time by fishing for mackerel, but without success.
When the pilot came on board and saw what we were about, he laughed at us,
and said, "Oh, gentlemen, you will not take them with the hook, because the
fish is blind." We laughed in our turn, thinking he took us for flat-fish,
and wished to amuse himself at our expense. Observing this he said, "I will
convince you that it is so," and brought from his boat several mackerel he
had taken by net. He then pointed out a film over the eye, which he said
prevented the fish seeing when it first made our coast, and explained that
this film gradually disappeared, and that towards the middle of June the
eye was perfectly clear, and that the fish could then take the bait.
I have watched this fish for some years past, and have invariably observed
this film quite over the eye in the early part of the mackerel season, and
that it gradually disappears until the eye is left quite clear. This film
appears like an ill-cleared piece of calf's-foot jelly spread over the eye,
but does not strike you as a natural part of the fish, but rather as
something extraneous. I have also remarked that when the fish is boiled,
that this patch separates, and then resembles a piece of discoloured white
of egg. This film may be observed by any one who takes the trouble of
looking at the eye of the mackerel.
I have looked into every book on natural history I could get hold of, and
in none is the slightest notice taken of this; therefore I suppose my
conclusion as to its blindness is wrong; but I do not consider this to be
conclusive, as all we can learn from books is, "_Scomber_ is the mackerel
genus, and is too well known to require description." I believe less is
known about fish than any other animals; and should you think this question
on natural history worthy a place in your "N. & Q.," I will feel obliged by
your giving it insertion.