Class IV. 



SHAD. 



"35* 



The "Thames fli ad does not frequent that river till Twaiti, 

 the latter end of May or beginning of June, and 

 is efleemed a very infipid coarfe fifh. The Severn 

 fhad is fometimes caught in the Thames^ though 

 rarely, and called Allis (no doubt Alofe, the French 

 name) by the fimermen^ in that river. About the 

 fame time, and rather earlier, the variety called 

 near Gloucefter the Twaite, makes its appearance, 

 and is taken in great numbers in the Severn, and is 

 held in as great difrepute as the mad of the Thames. 

 The differences between each variety are as fol- 

 low: 



The true Shad weighs fometimes eight pounds, 

 but their general fize is from four to five. 



The Twaite^ on the contrary, weighs from half 

 a pound to two pounds, which it never exceeds. 



The twaite differs from a fmall fhad only in hav- 

 ing one or more round black fpots on the fides ; if 

 only one, it is always near the gill, but commonly 

 there are three or four, placed one under the 

 other *. 



The other particulars agree in each fo exactly, Bbscrip. 

 that the fame defcription will ferve for both. 



The head flopes down confiderably from the 

 back, which at the beginning is very convex, and 

 rather fharp : the body from thence grows gradu- 

 ally lefs to the tail. 



* I muft here acknowledge my obligations to Do&or Lyfens, 

 of Gloucejier, for his communications relating to this fifh, as. 

 well as to feveral other articles relating to thofe of the Severn. 



The 



