5. CLUPEA, 419 



A series of four or more blackish spots along the side of the hack of 

 the trunk. Base of the pectoral fins deep black. (Etchii'.) 

 Caspian Sea. 



This species appears to be intermediate between the Herrings and 

 8hads. 



II. Minute teeth on the jmlaie, none on the vomer. 



A. Atlantic (species. 



a. Hoot of the ventral opposite to the orif/in of the dorsal. 



5. Clupea sprattus. 



The Sprat or Garvie. Der Breitling. L'esprot. Skai-psill or Hvasshuk 

 (Swecl). 



Sprattus, WiUuijhhii, Hist. Pise. p. 221. 



Clupea quadi'iuncialis SiC, Artedi, Si/non. p. 17; Genera, p. 7; Spe- 

 cies, p. 33. 



Brisling, Strom, Sondmor, i. p. 281. 



Clupea sprattus, L. Syst. Nat. i. p. 523; Faun. Suec. p. 128; Bloch, 

 Fische Deutschl. \. p. 206, tab. 29. lig. 2 (bad) ; Bl Schn. p. 423 ; 

 Lacep. V. p. 444 ; Kilss. Prodr. p. 22 ; and Skand. Faun. Fisk. 

 p. 510 ; Tu)i. Brit. Faun. p. 107 ; Jenyns, Manual, p. 435 ; Yar- 

 rell, Brit. Fish. 2nd edit. ii. p. 197, or 3rd edit. i. p. 115 (figure 

 not good) ; Parnell, Werner. Mem. vii. p. 322, tab. 35 ; or Fish. 

 Firth of Forth, p. 102, tab. 35; Gaimard, Vot/. Scand. Poiss. pi. 

 18. fig. 2 ; Kroijer, Damn. Fish. iii. p. 177 ; Malnujren, Wiegm, 

 Arch. 1864, p. 341 ; or Finlands Fisk-fatina, p. 68. 



Sprat, Pennant, Brit. Zool. iii. p. .303, or, edit. 1812, iii. p. 437; C'oitch, 

 Fish. Brit. Isl. iv. p. 199, pi. 203 (not good)._ 



Clupea macrocephala, Swai7ison, Lardner Ci/cl. Fish. ii. p. 387. 



• schoneyeldii, Kriiyer, Danm. Fish. v. p. 193 ; Gaimard, Voy. 



Scand. lV Lap. pi. 18. 



Ilarengula sprattus, Cuv. &,- Val. xx. p. 285. 



Sprate'lla pumila, Cuv. c^ Val. xx. p. 357, pi. 000 (this plate is num- 

 bered 603 in oiu" edition, and named Mektta ruh/aris). 



Meletta vulgaris, Cuv. ii- Val. xx. p. 300, description, but not pi. G03. 



Note. — Although Yalenciennes's account of the Em-opean Clupeoids 

 has the ajipearance of great accuracy of detail, and of an exact dis- 

 tinction of the species, a longer acquaintance with his ichthyological 

 labours shows that, towards the end of his great work, ho worked 

 mechanically after a fixed, artificial plan, altogether losing sight of 

 the natural affinities of the objects which he described. Thus only 

 can be explained the confused state in which he left this species. A 

 comparison of a small number of Sprats is convincing that the pre- 

 sence or absence of rudimentary palatine teeth cannot form a dis- 

 tinctive generic or specific character. The confusion is augmented 

 by the erroneous names and numbers on the plates. Fii-st of aU the 

 plate representing liogaiia alba is erroneously numbered 601 instead 

 of 598. Then there are two plates representing different fishes, both 

 named "Meletta vidi/aris," and both nimibcred " (KKi ;" whilst there 

 is no plate for " S2mttella pumila," which is stated in the letterpress 

 to be figured on pi. 600. Therefore we may presume that one of 

 the plates numbered 6(i3 ought to be referred to SjrratcUa pumila ; 

 and indeed, " Lcs ecaillcs fort petites " et " la dorsale reculco sur la 



2 e2 



