GEN. CLUPEA. LEACH's HERRING. 167 



they do not mature any roe during the first year, as 

 they remain in large shoals at the mouth of the 

 Thames, after the recently spawned Herring have 

 departed to deep water. 



The flesh of this Herring is much milder than 

 that of the common Herring. It yet remains to be 

 shown in what manner it is distributed around our 

 coasts. It is well known that the Herring found 

 in many parts of the western coast, particularly 

 in Loch Fine and other lochs of Argyleshire, are 

 greatly superior to those taken on the eastern 

 shores. They are smaller, more fleshy, and better 

 flavoured, properties which seem to indicate the 

 possibility of their being identical with C. Leackii. 

 This difference has been usually attempted to be 

 accounted for by the superior excellence of the food 

 obtained among the sea lochs and deep indentations 

 of the western shores : this might account for greater 

 plumpness and better flavour, but is scarcely com- 

 patible with inferiority in size. 



Pennant mentions Herring twenty-one inches 

 and a half in length, a size so far exceeding the or- 

 dinary dimensions of C. harengus^ as to give coun- 

 tenance to the opinion, once entertained, we believe, 

 by Mr. Yarrell, that there may be still another 

 species of Herring inhabiting our seas. 



(Sp. 141.) C. pilchards. The Pilchard. This 

 is a smaller fish than the common Herring, and 

 may be at once distinguished from it, as well as C. 

 Leachii^ by a character mentioned by Pennant. 

 When Herring are held up by the anterior ray of 



