316 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



and sinuous ; suboperculum slightly angular at its inferior posterior 

 margin. Scales large, thin, and very deciduous, placed in fifteen 

 rows between the dorsal and ventral fins ; lateral line not percep- 

 tible ; csecal appendages about twenty in number. Most authors sup- 

 pose that the belly of the herring is never serrated, at any stage of 

 its growth, and which is said to form a good specific distinction be- 

 tween it and the sprat ; but it will be found that this is not the case, 

 for a herring less than six inches in length is as distinctly serrated 

 on the belly, between the ventral and anal fins, as a sprat of equal 

 size ; and as the herring increases in size so the serratures become 

 obliterated, and by the time the fish reaches to the length of eight 

 inches, the belly will be found to be no longer serrated, but cari- 

 nated. The serratures can be more evidently perceived when the ab- 

 dominal scales are removed, which often project beyond the teeth, 

 and prevent their points from being felt when the finger is passed 

 from the anal, towards the pectorals. Number of fin rays — 

 D. 17 ; P. 16 ; V. 9 ; A. 15 ; C. 20 ; Vert. 56. 



The Herring is distinguished from the Sprat, in the dor- 

 sal fin being placed exactly in the centre of the fish, that 

 is, half-way between the point of the upper jaw and the end 

 of the long caudal rays ; and in the base of the ventrals 

 being in a vertical line under the sixth ray of the dorsal 

 fin ; in the Sprat the dorsal fin is situated nearer the tip 

 of the tail-fin, than to the point of the snout ; and the ori- 

 gin of the ventrals is placed a little anterior to the first ray 

 of the dorsal fin. The Herring has fifty-six vertebra? ; the 

 Sprat has but forty-eight. The scales in the Herring are 

 arranged in fifteen rows between the dorsal and ventral 

 fins ; in the Sprat there are but seven rows in that posi- 

 tion. 



The Herring is readily known from the Pilchard in the 

 position of the dorsal fin. If the Herring be held up by 

 the anterior rays of the dorsal fin, the head will be obser- 

 ved to dip considerably ; whereas if the Pilchard be held 

 up by the same part, the body preserves an equilibrium. 

 The Herring very strikingly differs from the Whitebait, 

 in colour; the back of the Herring is of a dark glossy blue ; 



