NO. 1499. THE HERRINGS OF JAPAN— JORDAN AND HERRE. 633 



riorlj to a perpendicular drawn from middle of orbit. Gill openings 

 large, membranes free from isthmu.s; gill rakers numerous, slender, 

 close set, twice as long as gill filaments; pseudobranchife shorter than 

 gill filaments; peritoneum dark or black. 



Scales very thin, deciduous, ctenoid; or median abdominal line a 

 series of scutes from isthmus to anus, each prolonged backward into 

 a sharp point. 



Origin of dorsal nearer tip of snout than base of caudal, its base 

 about 7 in body without tail; distance from snout to origin of dorsal 

 equals that from posterior end of its base to base of caudal; anal longer 

 than dorsal, its origin midway between that of ventrals and base of 

 caudal; caudal deeph" emarginate; pectorals abdominal, about If in 

 head; ventrals small, their origin under middle of dorsal. 



Color lustrous; bluish above, sides and belly silvery white; a row 

 of bluish-black spots or blotches more or less evident along sides; tins 

 pale or yellowish. 



This species is the common sardine of Japan, entirely similar in 

 habits and economic value to its homologues in America and Europe. 

 We have specimens from Hakodate. Tokyo, Yokohama, Tsuruga, 

 Aomori, Misaki, Same, Tateyama, Matsushima Bay, Wakanoura, Kobe, 

 OnoDiichi, Hakata, and Nagasaki. 



(yUf'Ao'g, black; (Jtikto?^ spotted). 



11. HARENGULA Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



Harengula Cuvier and Valexcienxes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XX, 1847, p. 280 



{latula). 

 Clupeonia Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XX, 1847, p. 345 



(jussieui). 

 Xow;ato Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., XX, 1847, p. 362 {thoracata= 



koval). 

 Lite Jordan and Evermann, Fish. North and Mid. Amer., I, 1898, p. 431 



{stoVifera). 



Small herrings of the tropical seas, with the vertebras in reduced 

 number, about 40 to 44, and with the scales large, usually firm and 

 adherent, often crossed by vertical strife; ventral scutes strong, 25 to 

 35 in nmiiber. Skeleton relatively firm. Adipose eyelid obsolete; 

 lower jaw projecting; upper jaw somewhat emarginate; teeth weak. 

 Ventrals inserted behind front of dorsal. Body compressed; cheeks 

 not deep; gill rakers long and numerous. The genus Harengula, as 

 here understood, covers considerable diversity of forms. 



(Diminutive of harengus^ a herring.) 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



a. Eye 2i in head; scales 40 to 44; depth about 4 in length zunosi, 12 



aa. Eye 3^ in head; scales 40; depth 3i moluccensis, 13 



