144 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part 1. 



THE COMMON SHAD. 



THE WINTER SHAD. 



than 100 univalve and bivalve sliells in 

 the stomach of a single fish. 



V.-CLUPlDiE OR HERRING FAMILY. 

 Genus Alosa. — Cnvkr. 

 Generic Charadcrs-BoAy compressed ; scales 

 large, thin, and deciduous ; head compressed ; 

 li'etli minule, or vvantiiio ; a single dorsal fin ; ab- 

 dominal lino forming a .^harp keel-like edge, which 

 in Some species is serrated ; upper jaw with a 

 deep notch in the centr(! ; ^ill rays 8. 



THE COMMON SHAD. 



Alosa vulgaris. — Cuv. 



* McMurtrie, Cuvier, ii,235. Yarrell's British Fish- 

 es, ii, 13fi, Storer's Report, Fishes of Massachu- 

 setts! page 116. 



* Description. — Color of the top of the 



head and back bluish ; upper portion of 

 the sides, including the opercula, cupre- 

 ous ; beneath silvery; whole body cov- 

 «^red with large, deciduous scales, with 

 the exception of the head, which is na- 

 ked ; eyes large ; pupils Idack ; irides sil- 

 very ; diameter of the eye equal to the 

 distance between tlie eyes ; no.stril nearer 

 the eye than the snout; upper jaw notch- 

 ed in the centre; its lateral edges slightly 

 crenated ; abdomen serrated; a black 

 blotch at the posterior angle of the oper- 

 culum ; dorsal fin on the middle of the 

 back, shuts into a groove; height equal 

 to two-thirdi ils length ; pectorals silverv; 

 height to the length as 3 to 1 ; ventrals 

 opposite the middle of the dorsal ; anal 

 received into a groove ; caudal dee[)ly 

 forked. Length of the head to the wiiole 

 length of the body as 1 to G. Usual 

 weicrht from 1 to 4 pounds. 



Rliys, D. 19, P. 16, V. il, A. 20, C. 20. 

 — Siorer. 



History. — This excellent and valuable 

 fish, which is common both to Europe 

 and America, was formerly taken in Con- 

 necticut river in large quantities., partic- 

 ularly in the neighborhood of Bellows 

 Falls. It is still t;iken plentifully in Mer- 

 rimack river, and in many other streams 

 which ilow into the Atlantic ocean fronr 

 N.England. I cannot learn that it has ever 

 been taken in lake Champlain, but on ac- 

 count of some resemblance in form and 

 appearance between this species and the 

 Con'sonus aVjiis, or White Fish, the name 

 of Sliad, or Lake Shad, is here very gen- 

 erally applied to the latter. 



Genus Hiodon. — Lc Sueur. 



Generic Characters. — The fiirm of a her- 

 ring ; abdomen trenchant, but not serrated; one 

 dorsal fin opposite to the beginning of the anal; 

 hooked teeth on the jaws, vomer and tongue ; head 

 small ; eyes very largo and situated near the end 

 of the snout ; bran'-liial rays eight or nine. 



THE WINTER SHAD. 



Hiodon clodalus. — Le Sueur. 



Hiodon clodalus ei H. tergisus. LePucur, Jour.Ac' 



Nat. Sci. Phil. 1—364, tig. 



Description. — Body deep and thin: 

 back elevated and nearly straight; belly 

 trenchant; dorsal fin quadrangular ; ven- 

 trals with large branching rays, and a 

 long bract over their base ; anal fin long, 

 with the anterior portion large and point- 

 ed, and nearly straight, or rounded with 

 a depression between it and the posterior 

 portion. Color towards the back bluish, 

 with metalic reflections, pearly and sil- 

 vei-}' below ; head small, greenish brown 

 above, with bronze reflections on the 

 sides ; dorsal and caudal fins brown, 

 the others lighter. Eyes far forward, 

 large, round ; pujiil black; iris with yel- 

 low and pearly reflections. Nostrils large, 

 double, and very near the end of the 

 snout ; lateral line nearly straight, near- 

 er the back than the belly ; tail deeply 

 forked ; scales rather large, brilliant, a- 

 bout GO on the lateral line. Mouth ob- 

 lique ; jaws even when shut, but on ac- 

 count of the obli(iuity of the gape the 

 lower jaw appears longest when the mouth 

 is open ; numerous small conical teeth in 

 both jaws, on the vomer, palatine bones, 

 and tongue, the latter largest and hook- 

 ing inward. Length ISA inches; depth 

 3^ ; diam. of the eye .7. 



Rays, B. 8, P. 12, V. 7, D. 11, A. 30, 

 C. 18. 



History. — Le Sueur's account of the 

 genus Hiodon was published in 1818, in 

 the Journal of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences. In this paper he describes 

 what he considers two species, to which 

 he gives the name of H. tcrgisvs and H. 

 clodahi.'i., but at the same time intimates a 

 possibility that they may both belong to 

 the same species. The difference upon 

 which he constituted the two species, was 

 in the form of the anal fins, the H. tergi- 

 sus having the anterior portion of that fin 

 rounded, with a depression between that 

 and the posterior portion, and H. clodalus 

 witli the anterior portion pointed, and the 

 line to the posterior angle ncarh' straight. 

 I have before me two specimens, which 

 were' caught at the same time. One is 

 13.^ inches long, and has ihe pointed and 

 straight anal fin of Le Sueur's H. clodalus, 

 and the other, 13 in. long, has the round- 

 ed, notched anal fin of his II. tcrgisvs. In 

 other respects scarcely any difference can 



