PLATE LXIX. 
Clupea Pilchardus: Bloch, t. 406, 
Clupea S. Arted. Synon. 16. ? 
Pilchard. Will, Ichth. 223. Bay . syn. pise. 104. Bor lase Cornwall. 
212, Penn. Brit. Zool. 3. p. 343, 
That casual observers should be apt to confound the Pilchard with 
the Herring ought not to excite surprise : they cannot but observe 
the very close affinity of these two species, and may be readily led to 
believe, from the inferior size of the Pilchard, that it must be the 
Herring not yet arrived at its perfect growth, and maturity. It is 
more remarkable, that experienced naturalists should have so implicitly 
assented to this notion. Linnaeus does not mention the Pilchard, 
although our countryman Ray, from whom Linnaeus derived no in- 
considerable share of his ichthyological knowledge, gives it as a species 
distinct fiom the Herring. Gmelin also omits it in the last edition 
of the Systema Naturae. Schonvelde was supposed to have noticed 
it, but it is not certain that the Peltzer of that author is the same as 
our fish, although Pennant refers to it as such among his synonyma. 
Lloch thinks it is very likely that Schonvelde’s Peltzer, a fish taken 
on the coast of Holland (according to that writer,) may be of a dif- 
ferent species, and recommends an enquiry to be made among the 
Hutch naturalists to determine this point. Should it really prove 
distinct, it would seem that Bloch is the only continental writer who 
has particularly noticed, or well considered this fish, though its 
history and peculiarities have been so copiously detailed by several 
English writers, and by Borlase in his History of Cornwall espe- 
cially. Even Bloch, it seems, was indebted to an English correspon- 
dent (Mr. Hawkins) for the only specimens of the Pilchard he was 
