152 PISH CULTUEB. 



have been made conceming this most delicate little 

 fish. It has been supposed to be the fry of some 

 score of different fish, and it is now said to be the 

 fry of none of them, but a fish of itself^ The shad 

 at one time bore away the honour of paternity from 

 all competitors, but it was found that whitebait 

 existed where shad did not, and shad, on the other 

 hand, existed where whitebait had never been met 

 with ; and as it was difficult to reconcile such ap- 



' The whitebait disappears from the Thames by the middle or 

 end of August. In the month of October I have taken it on the 

 coast of Suffolk in almost any quantities. ,The variety of size 

 amongst these fish is very remarkable, as they range of all sizes from 

 an inch long up to seven inches, which is the largest size I have 

 found it. At this size it strongly resembles a small herring. Indeed, 

 I have compared it carefully with the young of the herring, and 

 I confess that I find it difficult to detect any difference. The 

 similarity is so very striking, that I am inclined to think if the 

 whitebait is not the veritable young of the herring, that a large 

 quantity of the young of the herring do duty for whitebait. Amongst 

 the shoals were many sprats, but they could be recognised at a 

 glance. The sprats died speedily, the whitebait were much more 

 long-lived and active. I opened one of the larger ones, but could 

 find neither spawn nor milt, and am inclined to doubt from this 

 whether, even when seven inches long, they are a mature fish : 

 if they are not, then the question as to whether they are really 

 a, distinct species, or whether they are the fry of a yet larger fish, 

 and if so, what that larger fish is, becomes important. I have 

 never heard of their being taken of larger size than I have noted, 

 though, on comparing the larger whitebait with the smaller herrings 

 found amongst the shoals of full-grown herrings, as I have said, it 

 needs a better ichthyologist than I am to detect the difference, 



