160 SALMONIDES. 



shire and Maine, be_ars the Indian name of Pauha- 

 gen, which it has been suggested in the notes upon 

 " gadus tom-codus" is the aboriginal appellation. 

 Yet the New York icthyologist expressly says that 

 menhaden is the name by which the aborigines 

 called " him" Notwithstanding this declaration, 

 we have good reasons for supposing that menhaden 

 is a corruption of pauhagen. However, the ori- 

 gin of the name is of little consequence, and there- 

 fore, we resign the field to those who may have 

 more leisure for the investigation. 



Shad, — Clupea Alosa. This has a sloping 

 head ; body tapering towards the tail ; under jaw 

 longer than its fellow ; teeth small and sharp ; dor- 

 sal fin nearly in the centre, — the middle rays the 

 longest ; pectoral and ventral fins quite small ; ab- 

 domen sharp and serrated ; tail forked ; back a 

 dusky blue ; — has a line of dark spots on each 

 side ; varying from four to ten. Another, called 

 the American shad, clwpea capadissima, is without 

 spots ; — has large scales ; snout not cloven. 



The shad is a valuable fish, always commanding 

 a ready market in New England. It bears so much 

 resemblance, in general conformation, to the her- 

 ring, as to be called by the fishermen the mother 

 of herring. They are taken in surprising quanti- 

 ties, in most of the rivers visited by the herring. 



