GWYNIAD. 87 



and the most usual length of the adult fish is from ten to 

 twelve inches. 



The length of the head is about one-fifth of the whole 

 length of the fish ; the depth of the body rather exceeding 

 the length of the head : the dorsal fin commences about half- 

 way between the point of the nose and the end of the fleshy 

 portion of the tail ; its longest ray one-third longer than the 

 base of the fin, and equal to three-fourths of the depth of the 

 body : the adipose fin rather nearer the end of the tail than 

 the posterior edge of the dorsal fin ; the pectoral fins narrow, 

 pointed, and a little shorter than the head, inserted low down 

 on the body : the ventral fins arising in a line under the 

 middle of the dorsal fin ; the ventral axillary scale one-third 

 the length of the fin : the anal fin commences half-way be- 

 tween the origin of the ventral fin and the end of the short 

 middle rays of the tail, and ends on the same plane with the 

 adipose fin; the longest anterior ray about equal to the length 

 of the base of the fin ; the other rays diminishing gradually : 

 the tail forked. The fin-rays in number are — 



D. 13 : P. 17 : V. 11 : A. 16 : C. 19. 



The head is triangular ; the snout rather truncated ; the jaws 

 nearly equal, the lower just shutting within the upper ; a very 

 few minute teeth on the tongue only ; the eyes large, the 

 breadth more than one-fourth of the length of the head ; the 

 form of the body very like that of a Herring ; the dorsal and 

 abdominal lines but moderately convex ; the scales large ; the 

 lateral line very near the middle of the side. The irides 

 silvery, the pupils dark blue ; the upper part of the head and 

 back dusky blue, becoming lighter down the sides, with a 

 tinge of yellow ; cheeks, gill-covers, lower part of the sides 

 and belly silvery white ; all the fins more or less tinged with 

 dusky blue, particularly towards the edges. 



