ATHERINE. 215 



southern coast of England as the Smelt is on the eastern 

 coast, and each appears to have its limits, so as not to intrude 

 upon the other ; at least, as far as our observation has gone, 

 where one is, the other is not. We have traced the Smelt 

 along the coast of Lincolnshire, and southward into Kent, 

 where the Atherine appears to be unknown ; but in Hamp- 

 shire the Atherine is extremely plentiful, especially about 

 Southampton, where, for want of knowing the true Smelt, 

 this is sold under that denomination. On the south coast 

 of Devon they are caught in great abundance in the creeks 

 and estuaries, but never in rivers above the flow of the tide ; 

 and they appear to continue near shore through the months 

 from autumn to spring, being caught for the table more 

 or less during the whole of that time ; but are greatly superior 

 in the spring, when the males are as full of milt as the fe- 

 males are of roe. The Atherine is a well-flavoured fish ; 

 but, in our opinion, not so good as the Smelt : it is more 

 dry ; but when in season, and fried without being embow- 

 elled, the liver and roe make it a delicious fish." 



To this account by Colonel Montagu, I may add that 

 I have not known the Atherine taken east of the county 

 of Sussex ; and to his view of its non-appearance upon 

 our north-eastern shores I can only find one exception : 

 Mr. Neill says, in the Memoirs of the Wernerian Society, 

 he has repeatedly found the Atherine washed ashore about 

 Figget Whins, in the Frith of Forth, after easterly winds. 

 The Atherine is a delicate, and perhaps a tender fish, 

 averse to cold : Mr. Couch says, that during severe frosts 

 large quantities are sometimes killed and left by the tide. 

 It appears to be a very well-known fish, common in most 

 of the sandy bays of our southern coast. It is taken in 

 the first bay east of Beachy-head, and probably comes as 

 far as Rye bay or Dungeness ; but keeping close in shore 



