232 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



11. Sai.mo Thymallus, the Grayling Salmon, found 

 about Lapland, the natives of which use its intestines in 

 lieu of rennet in preparing the cheese which they make from 

 the milk of the rein-deer. 



GENUS.— CLU PEA. 



SPECIES.-CLUPEA HARENGIS, 



THE COMMON HERRING. 



Of the herring genus there are three species ; the common 

 iierring(thec^ea harengis), the pilchard (chipea pilcardns), 

 and the shad (clupea alosa), of which the fry has been erro- 

 neously considered as the white-bait of the estuary of the 

 river Thames and other places ; this, however, has been 

 proved incorrect by that talented zoological anatomist, 

 William Yarrell, Esq. Although the common herring is 

 the immediate subject of this article, yet I may observe that 

 this fish and the pilchard greatly resemble each other in 

 size, bein<r about twelve inches long when fully grown ; but 

 there are some obvious characterestic distinctions between 

 them, as well as in their appearance and habitations. Their 

 colour is nearly the same, but the pilchard is more elevated 

 in the back and rounder than the herring; it is also blunter 

 in the muzzle and has larger scales. However, the most 

 obvious distinction between them is the position of the 

 dorsal fin. In the pilchard it is placed exactly over the 

 centre of gravity, so that if the fish were suspended by it, 

 the body hangs in an horizontal position. But in the her- 



