5. CLUPEA, 419 



A series of four or more blackish spots alone; the side of the back of 

 the trunk. Ease of the pectoral fins deep black. {Eichi:.) 

 Caspian Sea. 



This species appears to be intermediate between the Herrings and 

 Shads. 



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



A. Atlantic species. 



a. Itool of the ventral opposite to the origin of the dorsal. 



5. Clupea sprattus. 



The Spi'iit or Garvie. Der lireitling'. L'et^prot. Skarpsill or Hvassbuk 



{Steed). 

 Sprattus, Wilh((jhhii, Hist. Pise. p. 221. 

 Clupea quadiiuucialis kc, Arfedi, S^/iion. p. 17; Genera, p. 7; Sjie- 



cies, p. 33. 

 Brisling, Strom, Sdndmiii, i. p. 281. 

 Clupea sprattus, L. Si/st. Kat. i. p. 523; FautL-Suec. p. 128; Bloch, 



Fisehe Bcutschl. i. p. 200, tab. 29. fig. 2 (bad) ; Bl. Schn. p. 423 ; 



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



p. 510: Turf. Brit. Faun. p. 107 ; Jenyns, Manual, p. 435 ; Yar- 



rell, Brit. Fish. 2nd edit. li. p. 197, or 3rd edit. i. p. 115 (fijiiu'e 



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



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



18. fig. 2 ; Kroi/er, Damn. Fish. iii. p. 177 ; Mahntjren, Wicgm. 



Arch. 1804, p. 341 ; or Finlands Fish-fauna, p. 08. 

 Sprat, Pennant, Brit. Zool. iii. p. 303, or, edit. 1812, iii. p. 457; Couch, 



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

 Clupea macrocephala, Sicai)ison, Lardner Ctjel. Fish. ii. p. 387. 

 • schoneveldii, K}-d>/er, Damn. Fish. v. p. 193 ; Gaimard, Voy. 



Seand. S)- Lap. pi. 18. 

 Hareugula sprattus, Cuv. ^- Val. xx. p. 285. 



Spratella pumila, Cuv. Sf- Val. xx. p. 357, pi. 000 (this plate is num- 

 bered 003 iu our edition, and named Meletta vtdgaris). 

 Meletta vulgaris, Cuv. S,- Val. xx. p. 300, description, but not pi. 003. 



JS'ote. — Although Yalenciennes's accoimt of the European Clupeoids 

 has the appearance 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, he worked 

 mechiinically 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 (hat 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. First of all the 

 plate representing ifor/fum alha is erroneously numbered (501 instead 

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

 named "21eletta vuhjaris," and both numbered " 003;" whilst there 

 is no plate for " Spratella innnila,''' which is stated in the letterpress 

 to be figured on pi. 000. Therefore we may presume that one of 

 the plates luunbcred (503 ought to be referred to S^iratella immila ; 

 and indeed, '•' Les eeaillcs fort petites " et " la dorsale reculee sur la 



