CLUPEID^. 235 



Olupea alosa (pt.), Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 523 ; Bonn. Bnc. Ich. p. 185, pi. Ixxv, 

 f . 322 ; Lac6p. v, p. 44? ; Turton, p. 106 ; Cuv. Rfegne Anim. p. 275 ; Jenyns, 

 Manual, p. 438 ; Johnston, Berwick. N. P. C. 1838, i, p. 173 ; Gronov. ed. Gray, 

 p. 139 ; Schlegel, Dieren Neder. p. 148, pi. xiy, f. 3 ; Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 433 ; 

 Giglioli, Fauna Ital. Catal. p. 46. 



Alosa communis, Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 1) ii, p. 136, c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 213 

 (ed. 3) i, p. 133 ; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 330 and Fish. Firth of Forth, p. 170 ; 

 White, Catal. p. 85 ; Kroyer, Dan. Fiske, iii, p. 220 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. 

 Ireland, iv, p. 177. 



Alausa vulgaris (pt.) Cuv. and Val. xx, p. 391, pi. 604 ; Heckel and Kner, 

 Suss. -w. f. p. 228, f. cxxxiii; Blanchard, Poiss. de France, p. 480, f. 127 ; Collett, 

 Norges Fiske, p. 195. 



Glupea communis, Swainson, Fish, ii, p. 294. 



Alosa vulgaris, Troschel, Wiegm. Arch. 1862, p. 228 ; Selys-Longch. Faun. 

 Belg. p. 220 ; Siebold, Suss. w. f. p. 328 ; Moreau, Poiss. de la France, iii, 

 p. 453. 



Alosa Ouvieri, Malm, Fauna, p. 654. 



Glupea vulgaris, Winther, Prod. Ich. Dan. Mar. p. 49. 



Allis shad. Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iv, p. 117, pi. cciv; Houghton, British 

 Freshwater Fishes, p. 69, c. fig. 



B. viii, D. 19-21 (yflfe), P. 15-16, V. 9-10, A. 20-24 (tt!xt), C. 20, L. 1. 



70-80. 



Length of head 5J, of caudal fin 5^, height of hody 4 to 5 in the total length. 

 Eyes— yvith adipose lids, diameter 5 J in the length of the head, from 2/3 to 1 

 diameter apart. Opercle with radiating ridges descending downwards and some- 

 what backwards. Cleft of mouth oblique ; lower jaw slightly prominent ; maxilla 

 reaching posteriorly to below the hind edge of the eye. Teeth — minute and 

 deciduous in both jaws, none on the palate nor on the tongue. Oill-rahers — 

 Professor Troschel first demonstrated that the most distinctive characters between 

 the two forms of shad might be found in the number and form of their gill-rakers. 

 On the lower branch of the outer branchial arch of this species they are 

 long, thin and numerous, being from 60 to 80, the number of which Canestrim 

 suggests increases with the age of the fish. J'tras— dorsal commences nearer to 

 the end of the snout than to the base of the caudal fin. Ventral inserted behind 

 the origin of the dorsal. Scales — 15 to 17 strong carinated scales along the 

 abdominal edge posterior to the insertion of the ventral fin. Fine ones extended 

 over the basal two-thirds of the caudal fin : back greenish blue ; sides silvery, 

 dashed with purple and gold. OofoMrs— occasionally one, sometimes two, dark 

 shoulder spots, while a succession along the side has been recorded, more 

 especially in the young. This and the next species belong to the genus Alausa, 

 or Alosa of some authors, separated from the true herrings owing to an emargina- 

 tion in the centre of the upper jaw to receive a knob existing above the symphysis 

 in the mandibles. Teeth in the front portion of the jaw only, and very deciduous. 

 Shad are not unfrequently considered giant sprats, herrings or pilchards. 



Names. — This and the next species are known as Eock-herrings in the Moray 

 Frith (Gordon). Allice-shad, alewife, mother of herrings, daming-herring, or 

 possibly " dame of the herrings," king of the herrings, Scadina. Serlyn or Serling, 

 Welsh. J)e Elfi, Dutch. 



Habits. — Not generally found in shoals in the sea, but becomes gregarious 

 when entering rivers : one hundred shad are observed to make more commotion 

 at sea than 1000 mackerel. Some authors have observed it in the Severn during 

 April and May, and as high as Worcester. Off Cornwall it appears earlier 

 than the Twait-shad, and is equally common (Couch) ; often plentiful in May 

 and June. But the time of its ascent depends to a great extent upon the condition 

 of the water, as in the Severn, if in flood, it waits until such is over, or even 

 returns to the sea. It is reputed to take pleasure in music, but should it thunder 

 while it is in the course of ascent it immediately retrogades to the ocean. 

 Mcintosh found in the stomach of a large example captured in the Tay 



