SEPTEMBER, 1881. 53 



time at any rate, so that we can better judge of the exact 

 character of our captures ; for we have again obtained 

 some dozens of the beautiful little fish that we procured 

 last June, and that appeared to us on a rude examination 

 to be smelts. 



We had exactly the same experience with these as with 

 our former capture, and this is of importance in our 

 estimation of their species ; for although that these are 

 Atherines is unquestionable, are they really Atherina 

 presbyter? They are not at all different in size from 

 what they were last June, and it is quite clear that they 

 are mature fish, although only four to five inches in 

 length to the end of the forked tail. It was again on 

 occasion of a very low tide that we observed them 

 passing inwards towards the stream in front of us, and 

 rippling the whole surface of the water. Not in a mass, 

 but in active, constantly shifting, playing multitudes in 

 broken detachments, breaking the surface of the water 

 from no ostensible cause, as they were not leaping, but 

 only splashing. Their extreme activity, and the peculiar 

 colour of the back of the creature in the water, prevented 

 them being readily observed, even when you were within 

 a few yards of the ripples, so when pressed on shore it 

 took one all the more by surprise to find them to be 

 living strips of silver. The large scales give to the back 

 the appearance of being checkered, the prevailing hue 

 being dark green ; while from the tail to the pectoral fin 

 a band of pure silver, in which all indication of scale is 

 lost, is the most marked characteristic of the fish. The 

 portion between this band and the belly is only less 

 silvery, while the blue-black eye and iridescent cheeks 

 make this little fish a thing of beauty. 



The Atherines are said not to be found on the East 



