PILCHARD. 169 



ABDOMINAL 



MALACOPTERYGIL CLUPEWIE* 



THE PILCHARD. 



GIPSEY HERRING. Scotland. 



Clupea pitchardus, BLOCH, pt. xii. pi. 406. 



,, WILLUGHBY, p. 223, tab. P. 1. fig. 1. 



,, ,, CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 319. 



,, ,, Pilcliard, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 453, pi. 79. 



,, ,, ,, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 69. 



,, pilcardus, ,, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 183, sp. 52. 



,, ,, ,, JENYNS, Brit. Vert. p. 436. 



CLUPEA. Generic Characters. Body compressed ; scales large, thin, and 

 deciduous ; head compressed ; teeth minute, or wanting ; a single dorsal fin ; 

 abdominal line forming a sharp keel-like edge, which in some species is ser- 

 rated ; branchiostegous rays 8. 



THE following account of the Pilchard is derived from the 

 MS. of Mr. Couch, from whose various scientific acquire- 

 ments, habits of observation and locality, it may be fairly 

 inferred that no better authority could be quoted. 



The older naturalists considered the Pilchard, like the 

 Herring, as a visitor from a distant region ; and they as- 



* The family of the Herrings. 



