THE SAURIES Family XXIII. Scombresocidae This family contains 2 genera, Scombresox, which has the beak longer than rest of head, and Cololabis, with the beak about half as long as head. The single species of Scombresox, S. saurus, is known as the saury, skipper, or bluefish. It is found in temperate parts of the Atlantic, on both coasts, north to Cape Cod and France. They swim in schools, and are often seen in the open sea. When pursued by the tunny or mackerels, "multitudes mount to the surface and crowd on each other as they press for-ward. When still more closely pursued they spring to the height of several feet, leap over each other in singular confusion, and again sink beneath. Still further urged, they mount again and rush along the surface, by repeated starts, for more than 100 feet, without once dipping beneath, or scarcely seeming to touch the water. At last the pursuer springs after them, usually across their course, and again they all disappear together. Amidst such multitudes--for more than 20,000 have been judged to be out of the water together--some must fall a prey to the enemy; but so many hunting in company, it must be long before the pursuers be capable of such flights, for the fins, though numerous, are small, and the pectoral far from large, though the angle of their articulation is well adapted to raise the fish by the direction of their motions, to the surface."--Goode. The skipper reaches a length of 18 inches, and is a good, wholesome food-fish. Cololabis brevirostris is found on the California coast from San Francisco southward. It reaches a length of a foot or more, and is used to some extent as food.