THE 



ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL. 



July, \S30. —Septe7nbe}\ 1831 



Art. XXXVIII. jVotice of a new Species of Herring. By 

 William Yarrbll, Esq., F.L. and Z.S. 



Examination of considerable quantities of the various sorts of fish 

 caught at the mouth of the Thames and Medway, at this season of the 

 year, by fishermen engaged in taking sprats, has enabled me to select 

 what I believe to be a second and undescribed species of Herring. 



The common Herring, virhen it visits our coast in summer, is taken 

 heavy wf'\\h roe, which it deposits towards the end of October. It is 

 certain that the fishing for them is abandoned about that time, as no pur- 

 chasers could be found for the " shotten Herring," and it is also well known 

 that the Herrings having cast their roe retire from the shore to deep 

 water. In the last week of February, 1828, I obtained at Brighton a 

 few of the young of our common Herring, then from four to five inches 

 long. These were caught by fishermen who worked nets with small 

 meshes for Atherines. Great numbers of the young of the common Hai- 

 ring are taken with the sprats; they are called yawlings by many fisher- 

 men, a term probably derived from yearling, but these young Herrings 

 differ materially from the Herring which I believe to be new. The 

 yearling fish have the elongated form of the adult common Herring. If 

 7 inches long, which is about their average length, they are only 1 inch 

 and f deep, and are without roe. Having examined them repeatedly 

 during the winter months, I am induced to believe they do not mature 

 any roe during their first year; and the fact of their remaining in large 

 Vol. V. T 



