506 RECORD OF SCIENCE FOR 1886. 



The results thus obtained conclusively demonstrate that the nature 

 of white-bait varies considerably; sometimes it consists almost entirely 

 of sprats, while at other times it consists chiefly of herring ; and not 

 only does it vary as to the number of sprats and herring, but also in the 

 size of these fish. " In February and March the white bait in the Lou- 

 don market was almost entirely made up of about half-grown sprats; in 

 April the white bait was smaller and the number of herring had con- 

 siderably increasetl ; in May, June, and July the white bait was almost 

 entirely composed of small fish, many of them with only a few scales, 

 and undoubtedly young herring." In August the herring were larger 

 and fewer in number, while the sprats were considerably smaller. From 

 the figures given, it will be evident that the white bait examined during 

 the six mouths consisted of about 60 per cent, of sprats and about 40 

 per cent, herring, the sprats diminishing from 93 per cent, in February 

 to 13 per cent, in June, and rising again to 48 per cent, in August; the 

 herring rising from 7 por cent, in February to 87 per cent, in June, and 

 falling to 52 per cent, in August." It is also noteworthy that in all the 

 lots examined by Professor Ewart, there were a few small fish that be- 

 longed to neither the herring nor sprat species; there were, e. g., gobies, 

 small i)ii)e-fish, sand-eels, and conger eels, and, in addition to both, there 

 were often shrimps and specimens of Beroe, and on one occasion a small 

 octopus," 



In view of these facts, it is evident that white bait can be enjoyed 

 Wherever the young of the clupeids can be obtained in sufificent abund- 

 ance, and that even small fish or the young of other fishes can be admin- 

 istered as white bait. If it is desirable, then, white-bait dinners can be 

 as readily provided for in the United States as in England. The white- 

 bait dinner is indeed simply a matter of fashion, but the strength of 

 this is shown by the fact that in Scotland, for example, when they were 

 ^' spreading tons of absolutely fresh whitebait taken from the Forth " 

 on the fields and " sending still larger quantities from the Tay to be 

 manufactured into manure at Montrose," they were at the same time 

 importing white bait at a considerable cost from London. (Proc. R. 

 Physical Soc. Edinburgh, 1885-'86, pp. 78-81.) 



A neio Fediculate fish of tlie family Ceratiidce. — A group of remarkable 

 deei) sea fishes of the order Pediculati, to which a number of forms have 

 been added within the past few years, has received another notable ad- 

 dition during the past year. A single specimen, about 2 inches (49™™) 

 long, was obtained by Capt. P. Andresen, a Norwegian sailing-master, 

 in May, 1877, "floating in the sea," near the island of Madeira, and was 

 presented to the museum of the Christiania University. It has, how- 

 ever, only been lately described by Prof. Robert Collett. Like so many 

 of the other deep-sea forms, the new fish, has a very deeply cleft mouth 

 armed with enormously long teeth at the front; its head is very large, 

 and the deeply cleft mouth but moderately oblique; the body is com- 



