44 A CORNISH FAUNA. 



dusky bars running from the back across the lateral line 

 towards the belly. It is a small fish, very common in some 

 of the West Dartmoor rivers. It is recorded as frequently 

 occurring in some of the rivers of Cornwall. The only 

 Cornish specimen I myself have ever seen, came from the 

 ponds at Tehidy. 

 American Lake Trout. (S. Fontinalis.) This fish has been 

 recently introduced into the county, at Tehidy, as an experi- 

 ment. It is said to attain considerable size, and to afford 

 excellent sport. 



CLUPEIBM.—i^^ Herring Tribe). 



Pilchard (Clupea pilchardus) is the base of one of the principal 

 fishing industries in Cornwall. Without being a migratory 

 fish (properly so-called) it swarms in from the deep sea in 

 summer and autumn, and keeping in shoals or schools by 

 day, it scatters at night, probably to feed. Shoals have been 

 taken in excellent condition so late in the year as 24th 

 December. A few years since a shoal was taken in the 

 lower reaches of Truro river in the month of February, but 

 in what condition they were, I do not know. I have, how- 

 ever, received pilchards cast on shore in the month of 

 February, and they were utterly unfit for food. It is probable 

 that the sardine is pilchard. 



Herring. (Clupea liar engus). Large quantities of this fish are 

 taken off our coasts in the fall of the year, but they are 

 nowhere in Cornwall of sufficient importance to maintain a 

 separate fishery. 



Sprat. ( C. sprattus). Any quantity of this delicious little clupeid 

 could be obtained on our coasts if nets of a proper mesh 

 were used, but it happens to come with its more valuable 

 congeners the j)ilchard and the herring, and it is not there- 

 fore separately sought after. When economy in our fisheries 

 comes to be studied, it will doubtless receive the attention of 

 which it is worthy. At present, when a shoal of sprats is 

 captured, some are sold for food at 2d. a quart, but the 

 larger part are sold for manure. 



Whitebait ( Clupea alba) was formerly considered as a distinct fish. 

 It is now certain that some whitebait are young herrings, 

 and it is probable that all whitebait are the young of clupeid 



