270 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



whitebait. Some inquirers may obtain one species, some 

 the other, while a third may receive both forms, in accord- 

 ance with the locality the fishermen were working their 

 nets, and whether schools of one or of both were present at 

 the time. 



Of the thirty-one examples of " winter whitebait " 

 received from the Medway, twenty-six varied from 2 to 4-4- 

 inches in length, the larger ones possessing well-developed 

 roe. All these were sprats. The remaining five were 

 young herrings, from 5 to *]\ inches long, the largest having 

 slightly developed roe. 



How are these young fish to be distinguished ? may be 

 asked : and to this question a very simple reply will suffice. 

 The sprats have sixteen to eighteen rays in the fin of the 

 back, and seventeen to eighteen in that behind the vent. 

 The ventral fins are situated beneath the first rays of the 

 back fin. They have forty-seven or forty-eight vertebrae ; 

 no teeth in the front part of the palate (the vomer), and in 

 a single or double row along the tongue, while internally 

 they only possess seven or eight caecal appendages at the 

 pyloric end of the stomach, while the edge of the scales of 

 the abdomen have very sharp points. The young herrings 

 have seventeen to twenty rays in the fin of the back, and 

 sixteen to eighteen in that behind the vent. The ventral 

 fins are situated beneath the middle rays of the back fin. 

 They have fifty-six vertebrae, teeth in the front part of the 

 palate (the vomer), and in a long oval patch along the 

 tongue, while internally they possess seventeen to twenty 

 or more caecal appendages at the pyloric end of the 

 stomach. The keeled abdominal edge is not nearly so 

 sharp as in the sprats, while the scales themselves are not 

 spinate, and they do not fall off the body quite so readily 



