186 



ABOUT THE SHAD. 



THE SHAD. 



We turn to the SHAD (Alausa), which differs from the 

 clupea in having the upper jaw deeply notched. Other- 

 wise, it closely resem- 

 bles the herring in form 

 and appearance, and on 

 this account, and in al- 

 lusion to its large size, 

 the British species is 

 known among Scottish 

 fishermen by the name 

 of the "King of the 

 Herrings." The Com- 

 mon or Alice Shad (Alausa communis), which attains 

 a length of two and even three feet, is found very abun- 

 dantly in the Severn, and also on other parts of the 

 British coast. It is a better flavoured fish than the 

 Twaite Shad (Alausa fuita), which, however, is more 

 plentiful, especially to the south of the Thames, and in 

 the Thames itself below Blackwall. It seldom exceeds 

 sixteen inches in length, and is marked by a row of 

 dusky spots along each side of the body. Its fishing is 

 prohibited after June, in order to allow it to deposit its 

 spawn. 



A large species of shad, which is much valued as an 

 article of food, abounds in the Hudson, Delaware, Chesa- 

 peake, and other rivers of North America. 



