194 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



in midwinter. Capt. Thurber obtained it in Great South bay in 

 the fall. 



The young of the sea herring is well known as the whitebait 

 of England and the United States, though in the latter country 

 the young of other species are sometimes mingled with those of 

 the sea herring. 



Many young, translucent fish of the genus C 1 u p e a , a little 

 under 2 inches long, are seen in spring in the shad fykes and 

 pounds of Gravesend bay. They are called " shad bait," because- 

 they are said to be taken frequently from shad stomachs. John 

 B. De Nyse brought some of them to me for examination Ap. 30., 

 1896. They showed the following characters. 



D. 18; A. 17. Muscular impressions along sides of body about 

 60. The ventral is very slightly in advance of the origin of the 

 dorsal. Intestinal tract full of minute orange-colored sub- 

 stances resembling entomostraca. A row of black dots on sides,. 

 low down, extending from pectoral to anal. Iris silvery; top of 

 eye very dark. 



Large sea herring, according to W. I. De Nyse, are rare in 

 Gravesend bay. Only about 100 or 200 are obtained there dur- 

 ing fall and winter. 



Young examples, from 4J to 6 inches long, were obtained ill 

 that bay Nov. 23, 1897. 



In the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass., according to Dr Smith, 

 schools of large herring, in a spawning condition, appear about 

 October 15 and remain till very cold weather sets in, their depar- 

 ture corresponding with that of the cod. By January young her- 

 ring J inch long are taken in surface tow nets ; by May 1 they are 

 1 to 1^ inches long, and by August 1, 24- to 3 inches. Fish 3 to 5 

 inches long, called " sperling," are found from September 1 to end 

 of season and are used for mackerel bait. About June 1 there is 

 a large run of herring, smaller than those in the fall run. This 

 lasts two weeks, during which the traps are full of them. No 

 use is made of the early run, but in fall they are caught in gill: 

 nets for food and bait. 



