CLUPEA. 149 



the mouth, with comb-like teeth ; on the under 

 edge of the body the scales form a serrated 

 ridge. 



COMMON HERRING, Clupea Harengus. Head 

 and mouth compressed, the latter, rough, with- 

 in ; jaws short and unequal ; the upper one 

 having serrated mystaces, short tongue, quite rough : 

 inverted teeth, eyes round, gills setaceous ; gill 

 covers sometimes of three, and sometimes four 

 plates ; gill membrane eight rays ; body some- 

 what compressed, and covered with small sized 

 scales ; ventral fins commonly with nine rays ; the 

 tail forked. 



The name herring, is derived from the Ger- 

 man word heer and army, in reference to the mi- 

 gration of herring, in such astonishing numbers, 

 as to excite the wonder of both ancient and mod- 

 ern naturalists. 



In the United States, herring are taken in large 

 quantities, but the kind peculiar to Massachusetts 

 particularly, seems to be the clupea harengus, 

 (pseudo), though most of the varieties found in 

 Europe, are also recognised on the atlantic shore 

 of North America. 



The common edible herring of this state, haren 

 gus, is of an ash color, approximating a green- 

 ish blue : the belly and sides have a silvery hue ; 



