THE ANCHOVY. 
483 
eyes are large ; the irides white, with a call of yellow ; 
the under jaw much fhorter than the upper ; the teeth 
fmall ; a row in each jaw, and another on the middle of 
the tongue; The fcnles are large and deciduous ; the 
back green, and femipellucid ; the fides and belly filvery 
and opaque ; the edge of the belly fuiooth, and the tail 
forked. 
The genus of herrings, according to Linnteui, contains 
eleven fpecies ; among thefe, however, the pilchard is 
not enumerated ; although, from its hiftory, we have 
feen that it is one of the moft common, and perhaps the 
moll numerous, fifh upon our coafls. 
The fprat is alfo a very common fpecies belonging to 
this genus, which Willoughby and Ray have fuppofed to 
be the fry of the herring, ft nearly refembles the an- 
chovy in fiz.e and fliape ; but from the time of its ap- 
pearance on our coafts, it feems to be a diftinct race from 
the herring. Thefe fifli come into the river Lhames iri 
the beginning of November, and continue there till 
March; a feafon when the herring have long retired into 
the North Sea. During the whole of the Winter feafon,- 
they conttitute a large portion ol the food ot the citizens 
of London. At Gravefend and Yarmouth, they are cured 
like red herring, and fometimcs pickled like anchovies , 
from which they differ hut little in their flavoin. 
N n 4 
