MARINE FOOD FISHES 121 
spawning and winter-spawning herring are fish of a 
different race. The latter deposit their eggs in brackish 
water, whereas the former spawn at a considerable 
distance from the coast. 
The herring egg hatches in about a fortnight and 
the larval fish that appears differs from the plaice larva, 
previously described, in that it is already advanced 
further in development and the mouth is opened. 
At first the young herring grows mainly in length, and 
when about an inch and a half Jong is an attenuated 
little fish, perfectly transparent, and devoid of scales. 
The transformation of the larval herring occurs two to 
three months after hatching, when the fish is one and 
a half to two inches in length. This change consists in 
the appearance of scales, while at the same time the 
fish becomes silvery and the body increases in depth. 
The larval sprat goes through a similar transforma- 
tion, and both these fish are met with as whitebait when 
from one to three inches long. 
In February, March and April, 90 per cent. of white- 
bait consists of sprats, but in July, August and September 
the number of small herrings greatly predominate. 
The pilchard is to be found inhabiting the sea from 
the southern shores of our country right into the Medi- 
terranean. Caught off the Cornish coast, the fish is 
known as a pilchard, but when taken in French waters 
it is called a sardine. Many people think that when 
they purchase a tin of small-sized sardines, that they are 
procuring the genuine article, and that the tins of larger 
