THE CLUPEA HAREXGIS. 233 



ring it is further back than the centre of gravity, so that the 

 head droops when the fish is lifted by it. The same dis- 

 tinction is found in the fry as well as in the full-grown fish. 

 According to Mr. Mudie, the fry of the herring and pil- 

 chard are taken in great numbers, and known by the com- 

 mon name of sprats.* This, however, is incorrect, and 

 displays very little of Mr. Mudie's research, and exhibits 

 his glaring deficiency both in zootomy and zoology. For the 

 sprat is distinguished by its full length being only four or 

 five inches ; its body being much deeper than that of a 

 young herring of equal magnitude ; and its dorsal or back 

 fin being still more remote from the nose. A still more re- 

 markable distinction between the sprat, the herring, and 

 pilchard, appears in the belly ; that of the two first being 

 quite smooth, whilst that of the last is very strongly serrated. 

 Again, if we refer to its zoological anatomy, we discover a 

 most distinguishing character, in the spine, inasmuch as the 

 herring has sixty-six vertebrae, and the sprat but forty-eight. 

 The period too when the latter fish visit our coasts is another 

 peculiarity between this, the herring, and pilchard ; they 

 continue with us in large shoals, when the others have 

 generally returned to their hyperborean deeps. f 



The distinguishing characters of the herring are, — that 

 there are eight branchiostegous rays, the belly is extremely 

 sharp, and frequently serrated. 



Herrings differ greatly in size, but their usual length is 

 from nine to twelve inches. The back and sides are green, 

 varied with blue, the belly is silvery ; a scaly line runs 

 along the belly from the head to the tail; the scales, which 

 are very large and thin, fall easily off; the eyes are very 

 fine and large ; the edges of the upper jaw and the tongue 

 are very rough, but the mouth is destitute of teeth. The 

 gill-covers are large and patulous, which occasions the im- 



* British Naturalist, vol. i. p. 282. 



t -Martins' Dictionary of Natural History, vol. ii. Art. Sprat. 



