78 THE WHITEBAIT IK DEVONSHIRE. 



use to those readers of "The Naturalist" interested in this subject who may- 

 be visiting the coast of Norfolk. I had intended to make some remarks in 

 this paper on the utility of local fauna, but Mr. Gray's opinions on this 

 subject, in his late paper on the "Lepidoptera of the West of Scotland/' so 

 entirely coincide with mine, that any further observations would be superfluous. 



Thornaye, Norfolk, February \2th., 1853. 



THE WHITEBAIT IN DEVONSHIRE. 



The Whitebait, (Clupea alba,) is far more widely known, at least by 

 name, than many other fishes of larger growth and of much more important 

 pretensions. The conspicuous part which it yearly plays in the ministerial 

 dinner at Greenwich, has given to it a kind of political association, and 

 thus has sufficiently familiarized it to every newspaper reader, whether naturalist 

 or not. But, however widely it may be known by name, there are perhaps 

 few of our British fishes in reality less popularly known, and certainly none 

 to which so circumscribed a locale has till recently been assigned; indeed, 

 it is not long since this little fish was ^^promoted" to the rank of species, 

 it having previously been regarded simply as either the Herring or the Shad 

 in an early stage of its growth. The honour of discovering its true nature 

 is due to Mr. Yarrell. A belief, in the non-naturalist world, that Clupea 

 alba is peculiar to the Thames, very generally prevails, although naturalists 

 have for some years been aware of its existence in the Southampton Water, 

 and more recently, it is said, in a few of the rivers of the southern and 

 eastern counties; I believe, however, that its existence so far west as Devonshire 

 is now announced for the first time; for, although it has not escaped the 

 notice of observers residing in the neighbourhood of the stream which I am 

 about to mention as its habitat, as, indeed, it could hardly do, yet the 

 opinion of its being anything more than a Brii, as it is locally designated, 

 appears never to have been seriously entertained before a relation of mine, 

 Mr. Abel Pulman, of Totnes, suspected, and last year completely satisfied 

 himself of the fact, that it was not the Brit, but the veritable Clupea alba. 



It is the River Dart, that Queen of the western rivers, which now steps 

 in to share with Father Thames the ^'honour" of producing this interesting 

 species. The part of the river in which it is found, and it swarms there 

 in incredible numbers, is that which extends from Totnes weir to the mouth 

 of the river at Dartmouth — a distance of about a dozen miles — being the part 

 of the river within the influence of the tide. During the hot months the fish, 

 in particular parts of this interval, line the sides of the river in shoals, 

 and ofiten attract the most indiflferent observer by the singularity of their 

 movements; ever and anon the water seems alive with their gambols, or as 

 if hail-stones were falling thickly upon its surface. The fish are then evidently 

 engaged in feeding upon the myriad Shrimps which occupy the places alluded 



