fHE SHAIJ, 285 



torSl, nnd anal fins are fmall in proportion to the fifh's 

 fize ; and the lad Is placed very near the tail, which is 

 greatly forked *. 



The Severn produces the fhads in higher perfection 

 than any other Britijh river. They appear there in 

 April or^May, according to the •warmth of the Spring j 

 and after two months they difappear, and are fuccceded. 

 by other varieties of the fame fifh. About Gloncejler^ 

 the fliad is efleemed a great delicacy ; it is there caught 

 in nets, and fold at a price as high as that of falmon It 

 is from thence they are fent to the London market, where 

 they are diftinguiilied from the fhad of the l^hames^ by 

 the French name alofe. 



It is not afcertained where the fhads fpawn : at the 

 time of their mounting the river, they are in full roe ; 

 but none are caught on their return to the fea, after 

 fliedding their fpau'n f . The bleak, which are caught in 

 the Severn in the months of %/^ and AugvJ}^ are erro-> 

 neoufly fuppofed to be the young of this fpecies. The 

 ihad is found at certain feafons in the river Nile ; it is 

 there, as well as in Kngland, a fifh of paffage %'■> it is alfo 

 feen in the Mediterranean near Smyrsia, and on the coaft 

 ©f Egypt, in the neighbourhood of Rofetto, 



This fpecies was reckoned very mean food by the an- 

 cients J Aujoniui chara£lerifes it as the food of the 

 poor §. Thofe of the Thames agree to his defcriptionj 

 being a very infipid and coarfe fi(h. Jovius gives a fimi- 

 lar account of this animal as an article of food ; but af- 

 feits that it improves after afcending the 'Tiber \\. In 



the 



* Wrllough. page 227. f Belon, 307. t Bclonii Itiner, pS. 



§ Stiidentefque focis obfonia plebis Alaufus; Mofella, i:?8, 

 jl Dc Fiffib. Reman, 



