1322 The Zoologist — August, 1868. 



British species of herring [Clupea), and the distinctions between them. 

 The fish constituting the genus Clupea are distinguished from other 

 closely-allied groups by the following characters : — The abdomen is 

 serrated, the serrations extending far forward towards the head. All 

 the fins are present in every species; the lower jaw projects beyond 

 the upper, whereas in the anchovy (Engraulis) and other allied forms 

 the snout projects beyond the lower jaw. The teeth, if present, are 

 rudimentary and deciduous, and the scales are very slightly attached. 

 The only British fishes of this genus recognized by Dr. Gunther 

 as being specifically distinct are : — 1, the herring {Clupea Hareugus) ; 

 2, the sprat (C. Sprattus); 3, the allice shad (C. Alosa); 4, the twaite 

 shad (C. Fhita) ; 5, the pilchard {C. Pilchard its). 



These species are readily distinguished from each other. In the 

 herring a vertical line, drawn down from the front of the dorsal or back 

 fin, is in advance of the ventral fin ; and there is a persistent patch of 

 small rudimentary teeth on the vomer or central line of the upper jaw. 

 The scales along the lateral line of the body are less than fifty in 

 number, and, as a remarkably constant character, the number of the 

 vertebrae is fifty-six. 



In the sprat the vertical line drawn from the front of the dorsal falls 

 on the ventral fin, both being placed equally forward. There are no 

 teeth on the vomer, as in the herring ; the scales are less than fifty 

 along the lateral line, but the number of the vertebras is reduced to 

 forty-seven. These differences reuder the distinction between the 

 sprat and the herring remarkably easy. 



The two species known as shads were formerly confounded. They 

 are easily distinguished from the herring and the sprat by the total 

 absence of teeth, and by the smaller size of the scales, which are more 

 numerous, there being from sixty to seventy along the lateral line. 

 The allice shad is distinguished from the twaite shad by the large 

 number of the gill-rakers, which are fine and long, and eighty to ninety 

 in number on the outer branchial arch ; whereas; in the twaite shad 

 they are short and thick, and from thirty to forty in number on the 

 outer arch. 



In the pilchard, which is also known as the sardine, there are no 

 teeth at all. The scales are less than fifty in number, and the gill- 

 covers are deeply furrowed. The exotic species of Clupea are very 

 numerous, and, from their close resemblance, it is difficult to arrange 

 them into subgenera or groups. The endeavour to classify them 

 according to the nature and distribution of the teeth was made by 



