760 MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES [DeC. 2, 



which apparently had L.l. 53 ; and I have since examined at the 

 British Museum similar specimens giving the appearance of having 

 had from 48 to 51 scales along the body. I therefore scaled a 

 specimen having L. 1. 29 : and to my surprise I found marks of the 

 adhesion of what appeared to have been 53 scales. In fact, when the 

 fishes have been denuded of their covering, they give the remarkable 

 phenomenon of appearing to have had about twice the number of 

 scales which they really possessed. 



Some of these Pilchards had spots along the sides, others had none, 

 the marks being largest in those destitute of scales. Mr. Dunn 

 observed that " often one in five among thousands are thus spotted. 

 The great difference I have found in the varieties is that the scales 

 are less firm in the spotted fish than in the plain ones * * * I think 

 there can be no doubt that strong and healthy Pilchards spawn 

 twice in the year, in December and June ; their roe floats on the 

 surface of the sea. I have seen the roe passing from these fishes when 

 alive, and have allowed it to drop in a bucket of water, and observed 

 each globule separate and start along the water, and finally hang 

 just beneath the surface. Pilchards seldom spawn nearer than 10 

 miles from land, usually from 20 to 30 miles off ; they are more 

 plentiful in the English Channel than most people are aware of. 

 M) r brother was on board of a fishing boat in 18/7, midway between 

 ltamsgate and France, fishing for Mackerel. About the 20th Sept. 

 the sea appeared full of fish ; on the nets being employed, they turned 

 out to be Pilchards of a very fine size. Besides the spotted variety, 

 there is one with a white ring in its eye, another black-eyed ; but 

 this may be due to age." 



Clupea sprattus, Linn. The Sprat. (Plate LXII. fig. 2.) 



This fish comes into Weston in large numbers about October, 

 when it is followed by many predaceous forms. I rarely, however, 

 visited the fishing-stakes in July or August without finding a few 

 examples. Baker observes that these fish " suspended in lines in 

 cottage-kitchens are seen for months after the fishing-season is 

 over." 



Anguilla vulgaris, Turton. Common Eel. 



Both A. acutirostris, Risso, and A. latirostris, Risso, have been 

 recorded from Somersetshire. These and several other fishes are said 

 to have largely decreased in numbers of late years — attributed by 

 some to the increased impurity of the water, by others to the de- 

 struction of the Elvers or young Eels. I obtained several Eels from 

 the stationary fishing-nets : they were termed " Silver Eels,'' owing 

 to their colour and in contradistinction to the " Golden Eels," or 

 those from the muddy waters of the Severn or Avon. Without 

 discussing the question of how to distinguish the various British Eels, 

 I must here refer to Hastings (Illust. Nat. Hist, of Worcestershire, 

 1834, p. 135), who observes "there are two distinct kinds of Eel 

 in the Avon, the silver and the yellow Eel; there is likewise another 



