246 FISH CULTtJEB. 



belly of the one being serrated while the other is 

 smooth ; even Yarrell places much weight upon this 

 point, but the fact is, that the bellies of both are 

 strongly serrated. A writer of an article in the 

 GornMll Magazine, some time since, stated that, from 

 experiments he had made, he found that this latter 

 peculiarity left the fish as it grew older, or towards 

 herringhood, and he asserted that the sprat was 

 neither more nor less than the herring-fry. But it 

 is clear to me that the writer of the article in ques- 

 tion could never have seen the two fish together so as 

 to compare them, or he would certainly never have 

 advanced such a theory. That the serrated belly 

 leaves the fish as it grows older, is perfectly true, for 

 the herring does not sensibly possess it ; but it 

 requires only the most cursory examination to decide 

 that the sprat and the herring-fry are totally distinct. 

 A child might easHy distinguish them, so different 

 are the two fish in shape and general appearance. 

 The sprat is more ovate and less elongated than the 

 herring, and is altogether a more delicately shaped 

 fish. The herring is more elongated, and has a 

 larger, more awkward, and angular head. The head 

 of the -herring, and particularly in the fry state, 

 always appears full large for it, which the head of 

 the sprat does not. Nevertheless, I have no doubt 



