SPRAT FISHERIES. 239 



front ; "while the pectoral fins, instead of surrounding it, 

 are each prolonged considerably in front, so as to 

 present the appearance of two horns. The species are 

 also very remarkable for the enormous size they some- 

 times attain. 



" R. D. P." in Land and Water thus writes: "Its 

 name is derived from the Spanish word manta, signify- 

 ing mantle, indicating at once its shape and the facility 

 it has of enclosing its prey within its folds. They some- 

 times frequent the pearl oyster banks, and are much 

 dreaded by the divers. 



THE SPRAT. 



Abclominales Malacopterygii. Clupeida, 



{Cluper spraUus.) 



German : Die Sprotte, Der Breitling. Dutch : Sprot. Swedish : 

 Skarpsill. Danish : Brisling. French : Memdse, Le Melet, 

 Esprot, Hareiiguet, La Sardine. Scotch: Garvie, Herring. 



This fish comes into the market during the winter 

 months, and generally appears in London on Lord 

 Mayor's Day (November 9th). 



Sprats are taken on many parts of the coast both by 

 the seine and drift net ; but, like the rest of the genus, 

 they are wanderers ; the shoals are capricious in their 

 movements, and exceedingly variable in their numbers, 

 as well as in the time of their appearance. The chief 

 fisheries for sprats are the large estuaries in the North 

 Sea, fronting especially the Firth of Tay, Firth of Forth, 

 Beauty Forth, and the Moray Forth, and the estuary 

 of the Thames. The fishing season continues through 

 the winter months, and the largest catches are taken 

 when the nights are dark and foggy. Not unfrequently 

 they are so abundant as to be used for manure, and 



