NATURAL HISTORY. 



Species. — The herrings, Clupeidce, are characterized by an 

 oblong body, absence of the lateral line, and by cycloid scales. 

 While the majority of the numerous herring species are con- 

 fined to the ocean, some ascend the coastal rivers for the pur- 

 pose of spawning. In the latter class is the alewife {Pomolobus 

 pseudoharengus), which is reported by Bean (1) as landlocked 

 in the lakes of New York. In Massachusetts waters the prin- 

 cipal allied species capable of being confused with the alewife 

 are the adult and young of both the sea herring {Clupea 

 harengus) and the glut herring {Pomolobus aestivalis), and the 

 young menhaden {Brevoortia tyrranus). 



Names. — The scientific name of the alewife is Pomolobus 

 pseudoharengus (Wilson), although the term Clupea venialis was 

 used by McDonald in 1880, and Alosa tyrranus and Clupea 

 tyrranus by Lyman in 1872. The common names of this spe- 

 cies are branch herring; spring herring; alewife in New England, 

 with the modifications of ellwife or ellwhop on the Connecticut 

 River; big-eyed or wall-eyed herring on the Albemarle River; 

 grey back, to distinguish it from the blueback, blackback or 

 glut herring; and gaspereau and kyack in Canada. 



Description. — The alewife in general conforms closely to the 

 herring type, but is characterized by a grayish blue back, white 

 silvery sides, fairly deep body, strongly serrated abdomen 

 and large eyes. In Massachusetts the adults range in size 

 from 8.5 to 13 inches, the average being 10.58 inches. Three 

 and four year old fish, and possibly even two, may ascend the 

 same stream, causing marked variation in the different schools, 

 as is indicated by the following measurements from ten 

 streams: — 



