124 GREAT-HEADEU SPRAT. 



remain to shew that there had not existed a row of spots as 

 in the Twait; nor could any teeth be discovered in the jaws. 

 The lower border of the mystache was not rough or toothed. 

 Number of fin-rays — in the dorsal seventeen, anal twenty-four, 

 ventral ten. Scales prevented the counting of the pectoral and 

 caudal rays. 



It beconies a question whether this fish has been overlooked 

 by naturalists and is new to science, or whether it be a variety 

 of the AUis Shad, from which species however it differs in 

 too many particulars to permit us to allow of its being no other 

 than a casual variety. The discovery of a second example would 

 settle this question. 



GREAT-HEADED SPRAT. 



Claxiea macrocepJiala, Swainson. 



It was the opinion of Mr. Swainson that he had discovered 

 in the River jNIersey, where it existed in some abundance, a 

 distinct species of Clupea, which he denominated by the name 

 quoted above ; but although many years have passed, no naturalist 

 has hitherto recognised it, or even referred to it in any manner. 

 We notice it here in order to shew that we have possessed 

 examples from the same neighbourhood, which have answered 

 nearly to Mr. Swainson's description; the chief difference being 

 that we did not observe "a few curved teeth in the palate;" 

 and there could not be a doubt that they were different from 

 the Common Sprat; but it did not appear quite so certain that 

 they were not in an early stage of the growth of one or other 

 of our well-known Shads, and probably of the AUis Shad; the 

 heads of both the Shads seeming to be decidedly larger in 

 proportion to the body at an early date, than in the full-grown 

 condition of these species. 



