THE CLUPEINjE, OR HERRINGS. 



265 



Sudis, merely to give an additional air of perfection to 

 the foregoing table. We now close our survey of the 

 salmons, and proceed to the next family. 



(232.) The Clupein^, or herrings, appear to hold a 

 natural station between the salmons (Salmonince) and the 

 pikes (Esocince). This situation has been assigned to 

 them by the best ichthyologists, and thus we have the 

 analogy strictly preserved in the circle of this class ; for, 

 upon comparing it with the spine-rayed fishes, we find 

 the mackarel (Scomber idee) come exactly parallel to the 

 Clupeince, or herrings. In this very natural and strongly 

 marked group, the adipose fin is entirely wanting, and 

 the single dorsal is placed in the centre of the back, as in 

 our new species, Clupea aurovittata( fig. 56.), which is as 



typical as the common herring. All the species are ma- 

 rine, and very seldom ascend rivers beyond the influence 

 of the sea. The body is oblong oval, covered with large 

 deciduous scales : the belly sharp, and generally serrated : 

 the mouth, in its position, is mostly oblique, or inclining 

 more to the vertical direction than to the horizontal; 

 but it varies considerably in size, and in the armature of 

 the jaws : the teeth, however, when they exist, are always 

 small and slender. Cuvier remarks that the upper jaw 

 is formed like that of the salmons, — in the middle by in- 

 ter maxillaries without peduncles, and on the sides by the 

 maxillaries. The opening of the gills is remarkably wide ; 

 and thus, as in all fishes so' constructed, the herrings are 

 known to die a few minutes after they have been taken 

 out of the water. The bones of these fishes are more 

 numerous and slender than of all others. 



(233.) The natural history of the whole family, as 

 far as known, bears a general resemblance to that of the 



