THE SPERLING. 313 



base of the tail ; belly, cheeks, and gill-covers, silvery- white ; pecto- 

 ral, ventral, and anal fins light straw-colour ; dorsal and caudal pale 

 ash-green. First ray of the dorsal fin arises exactly half-way between 

 the point of the upper jaw and the base of the middle caudal ray ; 

 the first two rays simple, the rest branched, the third the longest, 

 equalling the length of the long caudal ray; the last ray the shortest, 

 one-half the length of the fourth ; the last but three equalling the 

 length of the base of the fin ; adipose fin situated in a line over the 

 last ray but three of the anal, and half-way between the base of the 

 last ray of the dorsal and end of the middle caudal ray ; tail-fin 

 deeply forked, the middle ray not half the length of the longest ray 

 of the same fin ; third ray of the anal the longest, being as long as 

 the base of the fin ; the last ray half the length of the fourth ; ven- 

 trals commencing in a line under the second ray of the dorsal, the 

 second and third rays the longest, being as long as the fourth ray of 

 the dorsal ; pectorals equalling the length of the ventrals ; teeth 

 small and sharp in both jaws, those in the upper jaw much the finest ; 

 two rows of teeth on each of the palatines, but none on the vomer, 

 except two or three very long ones placed on the most anterior extre- 

 mity ; tongue furnished with a number of teeth, those in front large, 

 and slightly bent inwards, those behind small and fine ; eyes mode- 

 rate, situated nearer the posterior margin of the preoperculum than 

 to the point of the upper jaw ; scales large ( Jenyns states they are 

 minute), sixty-four forming the lateral line, and six in an oblique 

 row between it and the base of the dorsal fin. Intestinal canal with- 

 out csecal appendages. The fish emits the smell of green rushes. 

 Number of fin rays — 



1st D. 10 ; P. 12 ; V. 8 ; A. 15 ; C. 19. 



It is stated by Pennant that the Smelt inhabits the seas 

 of the northern parts of Europe, and that it is found as far 

 south as in the Seine. As a British fish, Mr Yarrell says, 

 " it appears to be almost exclusively confined to the eastern 

 and western coast of Great Britain, and that he is not aware 

 of any good authority for the appearance of the true Smelt 

 between Dover and the Land's End. The fish called Smelt 

 and Sand- smelt along the extended line of our southern 

 coast, is, in reality, the Atherine." 



" On the eastern side of our island the Smelt occurs in 

 the Tay, in the Firth of Forth, in the Ure on the York- 



