242 MALACOPTERYGir. — CLUPEAD^. 



The Family consists of one hundred and eighty 

 known species, scattered over all parts of both 

 oceans. Almost all of them are marine, and few 

 of these ascend rivers. Generally they are of 

 small size, comparatively few exceeding our own 

 well-known Herring ; yet to this rule the Shad of 

 our rivers is an exception, which grows to three 

 feet in length, and the genus Megalojps of the 

 tropical seas is found to attain twelve feet. 



The food of such species as we are familiar with 

 consists principally of minute crustaceous animals, 

 and, it is probable, from the minuteness of the 

 teeth in the Family, that the food is in general 

 small. 



Genus Clupea. (Linn.) 



Some of our best-known and most valuable 

 fishes are contained in this genus, as the Pilchard, 

 Herring, Sprat, and Whitebait, not to reckon the 

 Shads and the Anchovy, which are now placed in 

 separate genera. Its distinctive characters are 

 that the mouth is small, obliquely vertical; the 

 teeth very minute or absent, the jaws nearly equal, 

 not notched; the belly line compressed to an 

 edge, sharp, and generally serrated : the dorsal fin 

 situated above the ventrals ; the latter about 

 equal to the pectorals, and both small ; the caudal 

 forked : the body is covered with large thin scales, 

 removed with little force. 



The Herrings are believed to be wholly car- 

 nivorous ; and, as we have already observed, mi- 

 nute Crustacea form a large portion of their sus- 

 tenance. Mr. Yarrell observes of the Pilchard, 

 " I have found their stomachs crammed each with 



