298 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



The pilchard rarely exceeds 1 1 inches in length ; but 

 Mr. Cornish (Zool. 1879, p. 62) observed that on December 

 29th, 1878, he measured the largest he had ever seen, and 

 that it was 1 1|- inches long, while Couch remarks that it has 

 been seen of the length of 14 inches. 



The Sprat (Clupea sprattus). 



Garvie garvock, Scotland. Sprat, besides being the 

 name of this fish, is in places erroneously employed for the 

 young of the herring. Britt, along the Devonshire coast, 

 which ascends the mouths of rivers, consists either of 

 young sprats or young herrings. Whitebait likewise may 

 be wholly or partially composed of small sprats. In Ire- 

 land the fishermen at Youghal distinguish several varieties 

 as true, soft, or hard-headed sprats. 



B. vi.-vii., D. 17-18, P. 16, V. 7, A. 17-20, C. 19, L. 1. 47, 

 L. tr. 13, Caec. pyl. 7, Vert. 47~48. 



Length of head 4^ to 5^ ; of caudal fin 6 ; height of body 

 5^ in the total length. Eyes. With narrow anterior and 

 posterior adipose lids ; diameter 3j in the length of the 

 head, I diameter from the end of the snout, and of a 

 diameter apart. Lower jaw prominent. Opercular pieces 

 smooth, subopercle almost triangular, its posterior and 

 inferior borders being continuous. The posterior extre- 

 mity of the maxilla reaches to beneath the first third of 

 the orbit. Teeth. Absent from the jaws, tongue and 

 palate (an elongated, oval patch of very minute teeth on 

 the tongue has been recorded ; in an example 4^ inches in 

 length none are visible under a J-inch power of the micro- 

 scope). Gill-rakers. Closely set, rather shorter than the 

 eye. Fins. The dorsal commences about midway between 

 the hind edge of the eye and the base of the caudal fin, 



