THE GREY MULLETS AND ATHERINES 187 



however, be regarded as affording much clue to that under 

 more natural conditions is extremely doubtful. 



Until, at any rate, they get large and old, grey mullet are 

 of a sociable disposition, and even the large examples are 

 rarely seen singly, but more usually in couples, probably of 

 opposite sex, though this is not recognisable in the circum- 

 stances. These fish also have a remarkable, but well-known, 

 habit, when encircled by the seine, of following a leader 

 in their effort to escape. The fishermen in some parts 

 believe that one old and wary member of the shoal is the 

 recognised pioneer in such cases ; but the writer was on one 

 occasion able to see that the first fish over the ropes was 

 one of quite small size, and it is therefore highly probable 

 that the rest simply follow the first fish that succeeds in 

 finding a way out. 



Atherinidae 



The Sand-smelt, or Atherine {^Atherina presbyter), has often 

 been confused with the true, or " cucumber," smelt, one of 

 the salmon tribe, and even so close an observer as Mr. 

 Cunningham says that it " resembles the true smelt in appear- 

 ance and habits." In what this close resemblance in either 

 appearance or habits consists, Mr. Cunningham does not say. 

 The rayless adipose second dorsal fin and the spineless first 

 dorsal fin of the salmonoid smelt should (to say nothing of 

 its strong characteristic smell) sufficiently distinguish it from 

 the atherine, which has spines in the first dorsal fin and rays 

 in the second. Apart from these obvious differences, the 

 shape of the head, and more particularly the cleft of the 

 mouth, is distinct, and the eye of the true (salmonoid) smelt 

 is smaller, its teeth are larger, and the broad silvery band on 

 its sides is replaced in the atherine by a narrower stripe of 

 pale violet iridescence. The true smelt also grows to a much 

 larger size, examples of a foot in length being on record, 

 whereas an atherine of half that measurement would be 



