GREA T BRITAIN. 305 



common. On the west coast of England it is occasionally 

 abundant, but not to so great an extent as on the east 

 coast. (See Migrations.) 



In Ireland it has been recorded round the coast, but 

 there is no sprat fishery off the counties of Antrim or Down, 

 still they are taken in large quantities along the south 

 coast. 



Three are mentioned as sent to London from Aldborough 

 over 6J inches in length. (Field, January 2 1st, 1882.) 



4. Allice-shad (Clupea alosd). 



The allice-shad, alewife, king of the herrings, darning 

 herring, rock herring. 



B. viii., D. 19-21, P. 15-16, V. 9-10, A. 20-24, C. 20, 

 L. 1. 70-80. 



Length of head 5 J ; height of body 4 to 5 in the total 

 length. Eyes. With adipose lids, diameter 5J- in the 

 length of the head, and from -- to I diameter apart. 

 Lower jaw slightly prominent, with a notch at the 

 centre of the upper jaw ; cleft of mouth oblique ; the 

 posterior extremity of the upper jaw reaches to beneath 

 the hind edge of the orbit. Teeth. Minute in the jaws, 

 absent from the palate and tongue ; gill-rakers on the 

 lower branch of the outer branchial arch, long, thin, and 

 numerous, from 60 to 80 in number ; but Canestrini and 

 Moreau have pointed out that the numbers increase with 

 the age of the fish. Fins. The dorsal commences nearer 

 to the end of the snout than to the base of the caudal fin ; 

 ventrals small and inserted slightly behind the origin of 

 the dorsal. Scales. 15 to 17 strongly carinated ones 

 along the abdominal edge, posterior to the insertion of the 



Ktral fin ; fine ones extended over much of the caudal 

 OL. i. E i. x 



