

THE HERRING. 315 



Family TV. CLUPEIDJE.— Dorsal fin one; no adi- 

 pose fin ; intestinal canal with caeca. 



Genus CLUPEA. — Vomer and tongue furnished with 

 teeth ; under jaw longest. 



Clupea harengus.* — The Hekuing. 



Specific Characters. — Dorsal fin placed exactly half-way between 

 the point of the upper jaw, and the tip of the long caudal rays ; 

 ventrals situated under the dorsal. (See Plate XXXV.) 



Description. — From a specimen eleven inches in length. Head, 

 measuring from the point of the lower jaw, when opened, to the pos- 

 terior margin of the gill-cover, nearly one -fifth of the whole length, 

 caudal fin included ; depth of the body under the dorsal equalling 

 the length of the head. Dorsal fin placed exactly in the middle of 

 the fish; the base of the first ray situated half-way between the 

 point of the upper jaw and the end of the scaly portion of the body ; 

 the fourth ray the longest, not quite equalling the length of the base of 

 the fin ; the last ray exactly one-half the length of the eighth ; all the 

 rays branched except the three first which are simple,; caudal fin deeply 

 forked, the middle ray about one-third the length of the longest ray. 

 First ray of the anal fin arises mid-way between the origin of the ven- 

 trals and the base of the middle caudal ray ; the third ray the long- 

 est, about half the length of the base of the fin ; ventrals equalling 

 the length of the sixth ray of the dorsal, and placed in a vertical line 

 under the base of that ray ; pectorals pointed, of a triangular form, 

 and about twice as long as the tenth ray of the dorsal. Colour of 

 the back, glossy blue ; sides and belly silvery- white ; dorsal and 

 caudal fins, dusky ; ventrals and anal, white ; under jaw tipped with J 

 black. Eyes large, placed nearer the point of the upper jaw than to ( -*y 

 the posterior margin of the operculum. Teeth very minute (Pennant 

 states that the whole mouth is void of teeth) six or eight in a row on 

 the most anterior part of each jaw, those on the lower jaw being longer 

 and more perceptible ; vomer with a double row about sixteen in 

 number; each palatine with a single row somewhat smaller than 

 those on the vomer ; tongue also armed with a number of teeth ar- 

 ranged in three or four rows, with their points directed inwards. 

 Maxillary large, broad, and thin, extending as far back as in a line 

 under the middle of the eye; basal line of the operculum oblique 



* dupea harengus, Auctorum. Zoo). Bot. Map vol. i. Parnell. 



