ELOPiDai. FISHES. CLUPEiDa;. 
coxlvii 
pectorals are well developed and the veiitrals are 
small, inserted below or in front of the dorsal, 'i'he 
species are closely allied to the Salmonidm. There 
are two genera only, Paralepis and Sudis; the latter 
exclusively Mediterranean. 
Paralepis iorealis, Reinhardt, is native in the 
Greenland Seas. 
Family — A L BUL 1 D 
This is represented by only one genus and one 
species in our waters. 
LADY-FISH [Albula conorhynehus, Bloch and 
Schneider). — Ranges from Cape Cod to Florida. 
Famii.y — ELOPID.®. 
'I'his family is allied to the Glupeidm. DeKay in- 
cludes the type species, Flops, in the latter, and gives 
as generic characters; jaws formed like those of the 
Herrings; body, cylindrical; gill membrane with 
thirty or more rays; a flat spine on the upper and 
under edges of the caudal fin. 
BIG-EYED HERRING {Flops saurtis, Linn.) — This 
Fish is known as Matajuklo blanco and Real in 
Cuba. Its range is from Cape Cod southwards. 
DeKay figures it as Saury, fVom a specimen taken in 
New York harbor, in the autumn. 
JEW-FISH [Megalops thrissoides [Bloch, Schn.), 
Gunth.) — This is called Tarpum in Bermuda. Its 
range is south of Cape Cod. 
Family— DUSSUMIERIDJE, 
This family is represented by only one genus in 
our waters. DeKay describes and figures a species 
under the name Sle.mder Herrixg (Alosa teres). 
Gill records this form as 
ROUND HERRING [Ftrumeus teres [DeKay), Bre- 
voort). — Range from Cape Cod to Cape Hattei'as. 
Famh.y — CLUPEIDHil — [Herrings, Shad, etc.) 
'I’he typical genus, Clupea, which suggests the 
family designation, is from the ancient name used by 
Pliny and others of the time, to designate the Shad 
and like forms. Pliny gives the Roman name as 
Loectam; and that used in Venice as Gheipam ; in 
Spain, Saiogam, and in France, Alosam. The vari- 
ous membei'sof the family are so alike in their habits 
of migration that the circumstance attracted the 
attention of the ancients. The poet Oppian refers 
to this while describing one of the forms as Ghalkis, 
or Ghalcis, as follows ; 
Pilchards and Shads in shoals together keep. 
The numerous fry disturbs the mantling deep ; 
No home they know, nor can confinement love, 
But, fond of hourly change, unsettled rove,” etc. 
Among the Greeks and Romans the Shad was known 
as Thrissa, a term still in use as a specific name of 
a member of this family. Aristotle treats of the 
Shad as named Trichaios. On referring to the orig- 
inal works of these authors we find the words used 
in different forms, and that they are from the same 
root — probably thrix or trichos, meaning hairy or 
bristle-like. Tv’icAatos is recorded as “ a hairy Fish, 
like a Herring, remarkable for its minute bones.” 
'I’he fact of the bones being small and bristle-like, is, 
no doubt, the origin of the term. 'I’he Egyptians 
were familiar with the Shad, as it passed periodically 
up the Nile from the sea. 'I’he ancients were espe- 
cially impressed with the supposed susceptibility of 
these Fishes to sounds of a pleasing nature. vElian 
and others of his time, as well as Rondelet, treat of 
this, and add that thunders had the effect to drive 
the shoals away after they had been enticed near 
shore in the manner described by Pliny as witnessed 
by Ausonius. 'I’he latter author affected to despise 
this “poor man’s food.” A free translation presents 
it: “Who does not know those frizzing, sputtering 
Fish on every poor man’s grate!” Rondelet and 
Belon figure several forms, as the Hareng, Thrissa, 
Alosa, etc. 'I’he latter, which is the Shad, was named 
Laccia in Rome, and the term Allis, or Allice, which 
attaches to the English species, is a corruption 
through Alachia, Hallachia, etc. 'I’his family em- 
braces forms much like the Salmons. The chief dis- 
tinction is the absence of the adipose fin. 'I’he scales 
are particularly delicate in their attachment to the 
skin, and separate very easily; there are no spinous 
rays; the gill openings are very large; the teeth 
small and generally numerous. 'I’he air-bladder is 
always large. The eggs are exceedingly numerous, 
forming a roe of the greatest bulk. A few species 
ascend rivers, the rest are marine. They all are gre- 
garious to a great extent, forming large shoals, and 
appearing periodically on the coast. Some species 
have a very wide geographical range. As at present 
determined and restricted, there are about twelve 
genera and one hundred and twenty species, many of 
which are valued highly as food. 
MENHADEN [Brevoortia menhaden [Mitehill), 
This is one of the most familiar and numer- 
ous species on our coast, having a range from Cape 
Cod to Hatteras. The Narragansets called it Mun- 
NAWH.vn'EANG. Oil the coast of .Massachusetts it is 
known as Hard-head ; in Maine and New Hamp- 
shire, PoGY and PoGMAGEN ; in New York, Moss- 
bunker; in Connecticut and other parts of the 
Eastern coast it is known as Rony-fish and White- 
fish ; III Carolina it is Fat-back, Bug-fish and Yel- 
low-tail. Mitehill is the earliest writer on this 
subject — [Fishes of Hew Yorh, 1814)— and he is sup- 
posed to be the author of the specific name Menha- 
den. Dr. Smith, of Boston, who wrote in 1833, 
claims that the word is derived from the Indian, 
paar-haug, by which the aborigines knew this Fish ; 
hence Pauhagen, Menhagen and Menhaden. The 
term Mosshonker is used by DeKay, who says the 
Dutch settlers called it Morsehonker, and adds, also, 
"Pauhagen and Menhaden; the latter being the 
name given by the Manhattans, and the former, pro- 
nounced Pauhaugen, the Narraganset epithet. At 
the east end of the island they are called Skippaugs, 
or Bunkers.” Storer remarks : “ 'I’his valuable Fish 
comes into Massachusetts Bay about the middle of 
May, and leaves in November. It is taken in iin- 
