DESCRIPTION OF THE HERRING, ETC. 41 



The PilcJiard and the herring are of a similar size, 

 but the former differs from the latter by having the 

 back much thicker in proportion, with straighter lines on 

 the back and belly; and if suspended by the dorsal fin, 

 the pilchard hangs in equilibrium, while the herring is 

 heavier by the head ; it will be also seen that the scales 

 of the pilchard are larger and fewer than those of the 

 herring. 



Tlie Whitebait is of a lighter colour, has the belly 

 more serrated, and its dorsal fin nearer the end of the tail ; 

 the head is one-fourth the length of the body, while in 

 the young herring of the size of the whitebait, the head 

 is one-fifth the length of the body ; the body of the white- 

 bait is also flatter. 



Clupeid^. — There are three other fishes which be- 

 long to the 14tli family Clupeidce, and somewhat resemble 

 the herring, but may be more easily known from it than 

 the preceding ; these are : — 



The Anchovy {EngrauUs encrasicolus), — This fish, be- 

 sides being smaller than the full-grown herring, has its 

 lower jaw shorter than the upper, while in the herring 

 the lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw. 



The Tivaite Shad {Alosa finta) , called in Scotland the 

 Eock Herring. — This fish grows to a much larger size than 

 the herring, and may be distinguished, in small si)ecimens 

 of the size of the herring, by the deep notch in the upper 

 jaw, and by a row of four or six dark spots along each 

 side, in a line with the upper part of the gill cover. 



The Alice Shad {Alosa communis). — This shad grows 

 to a much larger size than the other, but has also the 

 deep notch in the upper jaw, and one large dark spot on 

 the upper part of the operculum, or gill-cover; it is 

 named by the fishermen the Queen Herring, from its re- 



