CHAPTER VII 



THE SMELT AND THE SHADS 



The Smelt — characteristic features — distribution— size — food 

 and habits — spawning — rate of growth — sometimes a permanent 

 freshwater resident — as food — meaning of names. The Herring 

 family : the Allis Shad — characters of the species — distribution 

 — size— migrations— spawning— growth of young fish— value as 

 food : the Twaite Shad — differences from the Allis — distribution 

 — size — habits — migrations — spawning — hybrids with the Allis 

 — growth — as food — Shad sometimes permanent freshwater 

 residents 



THE Smelt or Sparling {Osmems eperlanus) 

 has the external features characteristic of the 

 Salmon family, but, from certain peculiarities of the 

 cranial structure, the dentition, and the soft anatomy, 

 it may be placed in a distinct family {Argentinidos), 

 which includes several genera and species from 

 northern seas. 



The Smelt has the body fusiform, compressed, and 

 elongate, the head pointed, with the eyes of moderate 

 size, and the interorbital region nearly flat. The 

 mouth is wide and oblique, with the lower jaw 

 curved upwards in front and projecting ; the teeth in 

 the upper jaw are feeble, but in the lower they are 

 strong canines ; similar strong teeth are placed on 

 the tongue, the vomer, and the palatine bones ; the 

 most characteristic feature of the dentition, however. 



