ICHTHYOLOGY. 



215 



Mt>lacop- 



terygii 

 Abiiomi- 



nales. 

 Clupidae. 



sufficient quantities, along our eastern coasts. It appears 

 to be chiefly after these fishes have been absent for some 

 time from their proper feeding ])laces that they eat marine 

 worms and small fishes ; and when so feeding they lose 

 much of their flavour, and run rapidly into putrefaction 

 after being captured. The time of spawning seems to vary 

 considerably, both in the same and in different districts ; 

 so tliat we may have spring, summer, and autumn herrings, 

 as we know they have in some parts of tlic Baltic. Dur- 

 ing the s|)awning season they are seen to rub their bellies 

 against the rocks or sand. As many as 68,606 eggs have 

 been coimted in one female. The young do not accom- 

 pany tlie larger herrings in their migrations. 



Of the genus Clupea, Cuvier makes four other species 

 besides the common herring, viz. tiie sprat, white-bait, pil- 

 chard, and sardine. Of these we shall now give a short 

 account. 



Clupea sprattus, Bl. The sprat, mellet (Esprot, Haran- 

 guet, Fr.), bears a very close resemblance in form to the 

 herring, but does not attain the same size. The number 

 of its vertebrae is forty-eight, and the dorsal fin is placed 

 fartlier back tlian in the herring. It has no veins on the 

 opercle ; a gilded band runs along the sides in the spawn- 

 ing season. This fish is eaten in considerable quantity in 

 this country, both in the fresh and salted condition. It ap- 

 pears in the Thames from November to March. 



Clupea latulus, Cuv. White-bait {Blanquette, Fr. ; die 

 Brcitliiig, Germ.) has the body more compressed, and the 

 belly sharper, than the herring. The length of its head, 

 and height of its body, are each one fourth of the whole 

 length of the fish. The dorsal fin is placed farther for- 

 wards, the anal is longer and situate nearer the caudal fin, 

 than in the herring. 



Considerable difference of opinion formerly existed 

 among ichthyological writers as to the exact specific na- 

 ture of the white-bait. Pennant and Shaw considered it 

 as allied to the bleak, Cyprinus alburnus. Turton, Dono- 

 van, and Fleming, regard it as the young of tlie shad 

 Clupea olosa, an opinion which was generally received as 

 correct, until Mr Yarrell in 1828 ascertained that the num- 

 ber of vertebrae in the white-bait is invariably fifty-six, and 

 in the shad only fifty-five ; and he is thus supposed to have 

 demonstrated that the well-known ivhile-bait ought to be 

 regarded as a species distinct from every other. It is a 

 very small fish, seldom exceeding four inches in length. 

 It is of a very brilliant silvery colour, and has a black spot 

 on the end of the snout. The flavour of the white-bait is 

 considered as particularly delicate, and great numbers are 

 eaten by the Londoners in the month of July, at which 

 time innumerable quantities make their appearance in the 

 Thames. 



Clupea pilchardus, Bl. The pilchard (k Celan, Fr.) 

 nearly equals the herring in size, and bears a considerable 

 resemblance to it in form. The sub-opercle is quadran- 

 gular, the pre-opercle and opercle striated ; the head pro- 

 portionally shorter than in the herring, and the dorsal fin 

 placed farther forwards. The ventral fins begin as it were 

 under the end of the dorsal ; the ana! consists of eighteen 

 rays ; and on each side of the caudal two scales longer than 

 the rest project. The habits of this fish seem to be near- 

 ly the same as those of the herring. It is believed, like it, 

 to reside in winter and spring in the northern seas, and to 

 proceed southwards in the beginning of summer. It is 

 fished in enormous quantities off the coast of Cornwall for 

 the purpose of salting and exporting to the Mediterranean, 

 especially to Naples. It appears there in July. Its flavour is 

 considered by some as even superior to that of the herring. 

 Clupea^ sardiTia, Cuv. The sardine, which is esteemed 

 for the extreme delicacy of its flavour, differs only in size 

 from the pilchard. Numbers are taken off the coast of 

 Brittany, and also in the Mediterranean. 



tervjjii 

 vMidomi- 



iiales. 

 Clupidae. 



Genus Alosa, Cuv. This genus is distinguished from Malacop- 

 the herrings projierly so called, by an emargination in the 

 upper jaw ; its other characters seem in all respects the 

 same as those of the pilchard and sardine. 



Alosa vulgaris, Cuv.; Clnpea alosa, Linn. Plate CCCV. 

 fig. 2. The shad is distinguished by the absence of sen- 

 sible teeth, and by an irregular black spot behind the gills. 

 This fish is much larger than the herring, attaining some- 

 times to the length of three feet. It is also of a much 

 flatter shape ; its tail is much forked ; and on each side of 

 the lower margin of the belly the scales are very large. It 

 is a native of the Mediterranean, as well as of the North 

 Atlantic and Caspian Seas. According to Pennant, the 

 best in this country are found in the Severn. The shad 

 ascends rivers in spring and the beginning of summer, and 

 it is then highly esteemed ; but it is of a dry and disagree- 

 able flavour when taken at sea. The Russians believe that 

 the shad has deleterious properties. The Arabs smoke-dry 

 it. This species lives chiefly on vermes, insects, and small 

 fishes ; and Dr Fleming informs us that he has taken small 

 herrings from its stomach. The number ascending rivers 

 varies very much in different years. 



Alosa Jitita; Clupcajinta, hacep. The i^eaM of the Flem- 

 ish is more elongated than the shad, and has well-marked 

 teeth in both jaws ; there are five or six black spots along 

 the flanks. It is found as far south as the Nile. Its taste 

 is very inferior. 



Genus Chatoessus, Cuv. The chatoessi are true her- 

 rings, with the last dorsal ray prolonged into a filament. 

 Some have the jaws equal and the snout not prominent, 

 and a small mouth devoid of teeth. In others the snout 

 is more prominent than the jaws ; an equally small mouth 

 with the preceding ; the upper combs of the first pair of 

 gills unite together so as to form a very singular pennated 

 point beneath the palate. 



At the end of the true herrings Cuvier has placed some 

 foreign genera which resemble them in their sharp and 

 dentated belly. 



Genus Odontognathus, Lacep. ; Gnathobolus, Schn. 

 Has the body much compressed, and very sharp dentations 

 along the whole of the belly ; the anal fin long, and pro- 

 jecting little ; the dorsal so brittle as to be almost always 

 destroyed ; six rays in the branchial covers. The maxil- 

 lary bone is somewhat prolonged into a point, and is arm- 

 ed with small teeth directed forwards. There are no ven- 

 tral fins. 



One species only is known. It comes from Cayenne ; 

 resembles a small sardine, and is called by Lacepede the 

 Odontogiiathe Aiguillonne. 



Genus Pristigaster, Cuv. Has the head and teeth 

 similar to those of the herrings ; four rays to the gill-covers, 

 and no ventral fins ; the belly much compressed, its lower 

 edge arched, and sharply dentated. 



The Prist, tardoore and Prist, cayanus are mentioned 

 by Cuvier as known species existing in both oceans. 



Genus Notopterus, Lacep. Was placed among the 

 Gyrmioti for some time, on account of a resemblance occa- 

 sioned by the extreme length of the anal fin. The spe- 

 cies have scaly cheeks and opercles ; the sub-orbitals, 

 lower part of the pre-opercles, the inter-opercles, the two 

 crests of the lower jaw, and the keel of the belly, dentated ; 

 there are fine teeth in both palates and jaws, and strongly 

 hooked teeth on the tongue. The branchiostegous mem- 

 brane has only one strong osseous ray. There are two 

 very small ventral fins, followed by an anal, which occu- 

 pies three fourths of the whole length of the fish, and unit- 

 ed as in the gymnoti to the caudal fin. A small dorsal fin 

 with soft ravs is placed opposite to the middle of the cau- 

 dal. 



One species only is known, inhabiting the fresh-water 

 ponds of the East Indies. 



