TIVAITE SHAD. 71 



of the large towns are supplied vvith Shad to a considerable extent from Holland, a country 

 famous for its fisheries. 



I have already remarked that the two species of Shad are similar, and that it is not easy 

 to distinguish the one from the other on mere external inspection ; there is, however, a 

 character which reveals itself on an examination of the gills, and which is a decisive test as 

 to the species, whether it be the Allis or the Twaite {alom ox finta). In alosa the gill-rakers 

 are fine and long, in number from sixty to eighty, on the horizontal part of the outer branchial 

 arch ; in finta these gill-rakers are strong and bony, in number varying from twenty to 

 twenty-seven. 



The Allis Shad, or " King of the Herrings," as it is sometimes called, grows to the 

 length of two feet or more, with a weight of about three pounds, and this is not uncommon ; 

 but fish of five pounds' weight and more have been noticed. The specimen I had for 

 examination measured twenty inches in length, and about six inches in its greatest breadth 

 above the dorsal fin ; its weight was three pounds and a half. 



The height of the body compared with the length is as one to four and a half; ventral 

 fins behind the origin of the dorsal; tail deeply bifurcated; there is a large blackish blotch 

 just behind the upper portion of the gill-cover, which is sometimes followed by a series of 

 smaller black patches. As a rule, the next species {Clupca finta) is more generally marked 

 with these smaller patches. 



The fin-rav formula is 



Dorsal 19. 

 Pectoral 15. 

 Ventral 9. 

 Anal 20 — 2' 



Order 71'. Fiunilv 



PHFS0ST0.)ff. clupeid.t:. 



*WAITE ^HAD. 



{Clupca finta.) 



Tivaite S/iad, Yarrell, ii. p. 208; Couch, Fish. Brit. Isl. iv. p. 123. 



Clupca apice ma.xilhc supcriun's hifido, 



maculis nigris utnnqiu-, Artedi, Spec. Pise. p. 15 No. 2. 



Clupca fiillax, LAcfii'^DK, v. p. 452. 



Alosa finla. Yarrell, ii. p. 20.S ; Siegold, Siisserwasserf. p. 332 ; Cuv., Regne 



Anim. 



Clupca finla, Jexy.vs' Islim. p. +37; Gi'.VTHER, Cat. vii. p. 435- 



THIS species is both in general appearance and habits very similar to the Allis Shad, 

 with which it has often been confounded; the distinction, first pointed out by Troschel, 

 lies, as noticed in what has been said when speaking of the Allis Shad, in the shape and 

 number of the g-ill-rakers. The Twaite Shad never attains to the size of the other species, nor 

 is it considered as good a fish for the table. It enters some of our rivers about May for 



