126 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



Of the three fins mentioned by Grimther, he considers 

 the number of rays in the ventral to be of generic 

 importance, and the number in the dorsal and anal fins 

 generally to have specific value. 



Here, then, we find considerable variation in the 

 number of fin-rays as given by two of the three autho- 

 rities ; and there is no doubt that herrings differ very 

 much in this character in some of their fins, as can be 

 easily recognized in moderate- sized specimens ; but it 

 also Varies in the " whitebait," and within nearly the 

 same limits. 



One very distinctive character in our herring is, 

 according to Giinther, an ovate patch of vomerine teeth ; 

 this is found in both the " whitebait " and the herring- 

 down to a certain size, in the specimens in the British 

 Museum, where there is a large collection of herrings 

 and reputed whitebait from different localities. These 

 specimens in spirit, although on some points not so 

 good for comparison as freshly-caught fish, are very 

 valuable for other reasons, as many of them be- 

 longed to Yarrell, Parnell, and other naturalists, and 

 were intended as representatives of the supposed two 

 species. 



We now come to two characters believed by many 

 people to be very distinctive of the whitebait, namely, 

 the large proportionate length of the head to the body, 

 and the more uniform silvery appearance of the fish. 

 Of the first, we may say that amoug both the true 

 herrings and the reputed whitebait these proportions 

 vary, and especially in the smaller specimens — whether 

 very silvery or not ; and the shape of the head is also 

 subject to some variation. With regard to the second 

 point, we cannot safely speak from the Museum speci- 

 mens, as they are all more or less affected in colour by 



