ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. 35 



upper jaw emarginate ; eye large, slightly longer than snout ; gill- 

 rakers long, 30 to 40 below the angle of the arch, shorter and 

 stouter than in A. sapidissima ; lower lobe of caudal the longer; 

 dorsal fin high, a little higher than long, its height Qj4 in length of 

 body. Bluish above ; sides silvery ; indistinct dark stripes along the 

 rows of scales ; a blackish spot behind opercle ; peritoneum pale." 



A small fish or Minnow caught in cast nets, and used as bait. 

 Indian River. 



■ 



« i) 





Illustration. Page. 



24. "ALOSA SAPIDISSIMA." 191 427 



Shad; "Head, 4^; depth, 3. D. 15; A. 21; 



Common Shad; lateral line, 60; ventral scutes, 21 + 16. Body 



American Shad ; comparatively deep ; mouth rather large, the 



North River Shad ; , . 1*1.1 c±z • * <. 1. 



t, _, laws about equal, the lower fitting into a notch 



Potomac Shad. j * ' fe 



in the tip of the upper ; no teeth ; preorbital 

 moderate ; cheeks much deeper than long, the preopercle extending 

 little forward, joining the mandible at a point rather behind the eye ; 

 gill rakers extremely long and slender, much longer than eye, about 

 60 below the angle of the arch, the number smaller in specimens 

 from the Gulf of Mexico, which perhaps represent a tangible variety ; 

 fins small, dorsal much nearer snout than base of caudal ; perito- 

 neum white. Bluish above ; sides white and silvery ; a dark spot 

 behind opercle, and sometimes several along the line dividing the 

 color of the back from that of the sides; axil dusky. Length iy 2 

 feet." 



This well-known fish is caught in Florida in St. Johns River only, 

 and in nets. Edible, A. 



