THE BEST KINDS OF FISH FOE EIVERS. 127 



to be the fry of none of them, but a fish of itself. 1 

 The shad at one time bore away the honour of 

 paternity from all competitors, but it was found that 

 whitebait existed where shad did not, and shad, on 

 the other hand, existed where whitebait had never 

 been met with ; and as it was difficult to reconcile 

 such apparent incongruities, the whitebait has been 

 left to its own affiliation, and is unmolested, save 

 by the netsmen. Some would-be-thought gourmand 

 assert that the fry of other fish, or even minnows, if 



1 The whitebait disappears from the Thames by the middle or 

 end of August. In the month of October I have taken it on the 

 coast of Suffolk in almost any quantities. The variety of size 

 amongst this fish is very remarkable, as they range of all sizes from 

 an inch long up to seven inches, which is the largest size I have 

 found it. At this size it somewhat resembles a small herring. 

 Amongst the shoals were many sprats, but they could be detected at- 

 a glance. The sprats died speedily, the whitebait were much more 

 long-lived and active. I opened one of the larger ones, but could 

 not detect either spawn or milt, and am inclined to doubt from this 

 whether, even when seven inches long, they are a mature fish : if 

 they are not, then the question as to whether or no they really are 

 a distinct species, or whether they are the fry of a yet larger fish, 

 and if so, what that larger fish is, becomes important. I have 

 never heard of their being taken of larger size than I have noted. 

 Of that size Mr. Yarrel mentions them ; but he does not note 

 whether he ever examined them for traces of their reproductive 

 organs, with the view to proving their maturity. It certainly 

 appears to be a migratory fish, and it would seem as if, like others 

 of the clupeidce family, its tendency in the fry state was northwards. 

 In what form does it return thence ? 



