HAIUTS (»K TIIK SMKl.T. 1 77 



many tliousaniU, by l)ushi'l hu.Nkrts-l'iill at a time, and liavc 

 never seen n Hsli exeectliuf; seven or eijjht inches in length 

 taken from the Passnie, the jjeneral nm not exceeding; six ; 

 wluTcas it is notorions that the American Smelt is rarely taken 

 less than ten or eh'ven. and thence npward to twelve and tittcen 

 inches. 



Yarrel stall's of tlic lluropian Smelt, that they are occa- 

 sionally seen ten and eleven inches lon^j^, hot that this is an 

 nnnsnally large size. 



He also describes their food, diniiii; their residence in fresli 

 water, as consisting of small ti^h. with crustaceons and testa- 

 ceous animals. In the Tay they are s;iid tn feed principally 

 upon the shrimp ; and I have heard it asserted hy persons of 

 iiitegrity, that they have been can^ht with the same bait near 

 Helleville, on the Pa.ssaic. 



It was my intention to have institnted a toll examination 

 and comparison of these — which I am perfectly satisfied will 

 prove to he two distinct species — this la.st spring : bnt, nnfortu- 

 nately, I was necessarily absent from home dnring the very few 

 days of this season in which they were taken in the Passaic, 

 and lost the opportunity of doing so. The rnn of them is 

 becoming less and less numerous every successive sca-son. and 

 it is to be apprehended that ere hm^; they will cease to visit 

 us at nil. 



I will remark here that the habit of the Knropean Sntelt in 

 Kngland i<« very capricious in regard to the rivers which he 

 honours with his presence. It is said that in Kngland the 

 Smelt i.^ never taken between Dover and Land's Knd ; on the 

 eastern side of the island it is taken from tlie Thames and 



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