758 MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES [Dec. 2, 



Exocetus evolans, Linn. The Flying Fish. 

 Somersetshire. 



Engraulis encrasicholtjs, Linn. The Anchovy. 

 Occasionally taken in the shrimp-nets. Those at the mouth of 

 the Parret are said to be very superior. 



Cltjpea harengus, Linn. The Herring ; Whitebait (in part). 



I obtained several small examples of this fish from the stationary 

 shrimp-nets ; but " Whitebait " is not taken to such an extent as to 

 be an article of consequence as food. I will here refer to some 

 investigations which I made during the last two seasons, respecting 

 what Whitebait is. In May 1878 I commenced collecting examples, 

 excluding other fishes as Gobies and Sticklebacks, a very few of 

 which accidentally or fraudulently are found mixed with the true 

 forms, restricting my observations to what are the species known by 

 this name in London, to the trade, and to epicures. My collections 

 were continued until the end of October, all the examples coming 

 from the Thames. Mr. Charles, the Belgravian fishmonger, kindly 

 procured me examples from the Medway during January and March 

 this year, and subsequently I have reverted to Billingsgate for my 

 supply. I examined 138 of these fish taken during May and June 

 1878, the longest of which was 2 - 5 inches : about 1 in 10 were Sprats, 

 the remainder the young of the Herring. Iu August, out of 46 

 examples, from 2 to 3*5 inches in length, 24 (from 2 to 27 inches 

 long) were Sprats, and 21 (from 2*8 to 3"5 inches long) were young 

 Herrings. In October, out of 41, from 2*5 to 3*5 inches long, all 

 were Herrings. It thus appears that both Sprats and young Herrings 

 find their way into the London market as Whitebait. Out of 31 

 examples of winter Whitebait received from Mr. Charles, 26 varied 

 from 2 to 4 - 5 inches in length, the larger ones having well developed 

 roe, all were Sprats ; the remaining 5 were young Herrings from 5 

 to 7*5 inches long, the largest possessing slightly developed roe. 



That Pennant's drawing was the Whitebait of the present time 

 there can be but little doubt, as well as that his examples were young 

 Herrings. It is also certain that Donovan's figure is that of a young 

 Shad, the immature of which, if sufficiently numerous, would do as 

 well as those of the Herring or of the Sprat ; while I certainly possess 

 the young of these last two forms which I have received as White- 

 bait. 



Clupea alosa, Cuv. The Shad or Allis Shad. 



Clupea finta, Cuv. The Twaite Shad. 



A good local example exists in the Weston Museum. At the 

 commencement of June these fish were common in the Severn near 

 Gloucester, while their ova was ripe. They used to ascend far above 

 Shrewsbury, and many were captured on the fords in the river Severn ; 

 but for years none have been seen, probably owing to the weirs on that 

 river and their being unable to ascend the fish-passes ; while for the 



