306 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



fin. Colours. Back, greenish-blue ; sides, silvery, dashed 

 with purple and gold ; occasionally one, sometimes two, 

 dark shoulder spots, while a succession of several more 

 along the side has been recorded, but these are more 

 commonly seen in the young. 



Habits. A marine form which enters rivers for breeding 

 purposes, when it ascends in shoals, but in the sea appears 

 to lead a more solitary existence. It is shy and timid, and 

 has been reputed to take pleasure in music, but should it 

 thunder while ascending rivers, an immediate return to the 

 sea occurs. In the Severn and Wye it is looked for in 

 April and May, but does not appear to ascend very high. 

 Mclntosh found in the stomach of a large example captured 

 in the Tay, Conferva, Desmids and a quantity of vegetable 

 debris. 



Means of capture. Mostly netting, while Couch records 

 its having been taken in a trammel. It is occasionally 

 captured along the south-east coast, when whiffing for 

 pollack, the bait being a slice from a mackerel or a 

 sand-eel. 



Breeding. It enters our rivers from May until the middle 

 of June for breeding purposes, during which period it 

 appears to cease from feeding. 



As food. It is rich and highly esteemed, were it not for 

 its numerous bones ; the higher it ascends the rivers the 

 more its quality improves, whereas those from the sea are 

 somewhat coarse and inferior. It commences being in 

 the markets in considerable numbers about April, and 

 large quantities are imported from Holland. 



Habitat. Coasts of Europe, entering rivers. It has been 

 recorded from Banff (Edward), where it is said to be rare ; 

 Aberdeen (Sim) ; not uncommon at St. Andrews (Mclntosh); 

 rare in the Firth of Forth (Parnell) ; Berwickshire (Johnston) ; 





