180 CLUPEID.E. 



county of Cork, and taken at Dublin and Belfast. On our 

 eastern coast, a few are taken every year at Yarmouth with 

 the Herrings. They were more than usually abundant there 

 in the years 1780, 1790, and 1799. 



Specimens of the Pilchard sometimes measure eleven 

 inches in length ; the fish described measured nine inches. 

 It much resembles the Herring, but is smaller and thicker. 

 The length of the head is to the whole length as one to 



O O 



five ; the depth of the body equal to the length of the head ; 

 the transverse thickness of the body equal to half its depth : 

 the form of the head triangular, the upper surface flat ; 

 the dorsal and abdominal lines slightly and equally con- 

 vex ; no perceptible lateral line ; the body across the back 

 obtusely rounded ; the line of the abdomen smooth ; the 

 edges of the scales of the two sides leaving a longitudinal 

 groove from the branchiostegous rays to the vent, along 

 which groove extends a row of scales of a peculiar shape, 



of which the woodcut here placed 

 is a representation ; the two long 

 narrow lateral arms extending up 

 each side under the scales, the 

 shortest projection pointing back- 

 ward : the scales of the body are 

 very large, deciduous, and ciliated 

 at the free edge. 



The distance from the point of the nose to the base 

 of the last ray of the dorsal fin, and from thence half- 

 way along the caudal rays, nearly equal : the commence- 

 ment of the dorsal fin is therefore anterior to the middle of 

 the fish by the whole length of the base of the fin ; the 

 first and second rays shorter than the third, which is equal 

 to the length of the base of the fin ; these first three rays 

 articulated, but simple ; all the other rays branched : pec- 



