47 



In i860 Bleeker, in his " Vische v. d. Kaap," mentions 

 C. ocellata as a Cape fish but without furtlier description, and 

 in 1861 Castelnau (" Memoire sur les Poissons de I'Afrique 

 australe ") gives a short description, again of colour only. 

 He draws attention to its resemblance to the common Herring,, 

 without however adding any further details of importance. 

 He sa3^s : — " Cette espece ressemble au Hareng commun 

 mais s'en distingue par une serie de points noires, espaces, 

 assez grands et ocelles, qui suit le ligne laterale. lis varient 

 en nombre, de 5 a 12 de chaque cote du corps. Le dos et 

 le dessus de la tete sont d'un beau bleu eclatant. Le reste 

 d'un blanc argente, un pen dore ; nageoire dorsale jaune en 

 avant. — Caudale cendree, les autres nageoires blanches ; 1' iris 

 jaune. Se peche en ete, mais assez rarement." 



There is httle doubt that Van Riebeek's " line herring," 

 the " Penny Mail's " " true herring," " Clupea ocellata, 

 Sardyn or Shad " of Pappe, and Castelnau' s fish resembling 

 a " Hareng commun " are one and the same fish. A number 

 of specimens of a fish corresponding to these descriptions 

 have been recently captured alive and put into the tanks 

 at the Marine Station, St. James, thus affording good material 

 for a more definite determination as well as observations of 

 the animal in the living state. 



A second member of the family, not generally known to 

 occur in South Africa, though abundant at times, is a species 

 of Anchovy, almost identical with the European Anchovy. 

 It is not distinguished from the Herring by Cape fishermen, 

 who include both under the name " Sardine " It is first 

 definitely mentioned by Pappe, who took it to be identical 

 with the European Anchovy, Engraulis encrasicholus, L., and 

 gave the common name as " Ansjovis or Anchovy " His 

 description is as follows : — " Body slender ; head and snout 

 pointed ; upper jaw projecting considerably. Mouth deeply 

 and horizontally cleft far behind the eyes. Maxillaries and 

 palate armed with small but sharp numerous teeth. Scales 

 large and deciduous ; tail deeply forked. Top of head and 

 back blue, with a tinge of green ; flanks and belly silvery. 

 Fins greenish-white. Length, 4 to 5 inches." 



Bleeker (I.e. p. 56) mentions Engraulis encrasicholus as a 

 Cape fish, evidently quoting from Pappe, and Castelnau 

 (I.e. p. 68) had some doubt as to the identity of the fish with 

 the European form as identified by Pappe. " Ce n'est qu' 

 avec beaucoup de doute que je rapporte ce petit poisson du 

 Cap a I'espece europeenne, mais je n'ai pas cette demiere a 

 ma disposition et depuis, par consequent, les comparer ; je 

 me range done a I'avis du docteur Pappe, en les reunissant 



[C.P. 5-'i3-] 



