! The Hiflory ANIMALS, 
CLUP £ A* 
T H E belly of the Clupea is remarkably acute, or is formed of fiich a peculiar 
arrangement of the fcales, that it appears ferrated: the back fin is fomewhat 
nearer the head than the ventral or belly fins are, and the branchioftege membrane 
contains eight bones. 
This genus comprehends the herring, fprat, anchovy, &c 6 
Clupea maxilla inferiore longiore maculis nigris care 
The Clupea , with the lower jaw longejl, and without 
black fpots. 
This is the common herring, eaten under various forms at our tables: it may feem 
needlefs to fome to enter into the particulars of the defcription of a fifli fo well known 3 
but the moll vulgarly known things are often the lead: underftood, and I am apt to be¬ 
lieve there are very few who diftinguifh this fifh properly from the others of the fame 
genus. It is very often confounded with the fhad and pilchard 3 and moll; people fup- 
pofe fo diftinft a fpecies as the fprat to be only a herring not yet grown to it’s fize. 
The length of the herring is from five to eight inches, it’s breadth little more than 
an inch3 it’s head is comprefled, and fomewhat acute in the anterior part, and 
the upper part of it is hollowed : the mouth is very large; in the opening of 
it the roftrum is a little elevated, and the maxillary bone of the upper jaw, which 
Covers the lower on each fide, is protruded a great way forward: the noftrils are very 
confpicuous3 they have a double aperture, but the anterior one is very final! 3 they 
Hand nearer to the extremity of the rofirum than to the eyes: the eyes are large, and 
the iris is filvery. 
In the extremity of the lower jaw there are fome very fmall teeth, and in the upper 
one others fo very minute, that they may be eafily overlooked, unlefs on a Careful in- 
fpe&ion; the lateral bone of the upper jaw, which covers the other on each fide, 
is lightly ferrated at the edge : in the middle of the anterior part of the palate there is 
a large area, befet with teeth in two feries, running longitudinally; and, finally, the 
tongue, which is acute and loofe on the lower part, and is of a blackilh colour, is 
armed with a great number of teeth directed inwards: there is ufually an elegant red, 
or violet-coloured fpot, on each fide, at the extremity of the coverings of the gills; 
thefe coverings are, excepting for this fpot, throughout of a filvery colour, and are 
compofed of three or four bony lamina?, and eight ofiicles, fomewhat arcuated in fi¬ 
gure, and connected by a membrane. 
The lateral line runs ftraight, and near the back, but it is not very confpicuous: 
the fcales are very large, and of a filvery white ; they are placed in an imbricated man- 
ner, but they are very loofely fixed, and eafily fall off: the back is of a duiky bluifli 
colour, and is more blue in fpring than at other times3 the fides and the belly are of 
a filvery white : the whole belly, from the gills to the anus, is rough, and is contra&ed 
into an edge 5 the back is rounded or convex 3 the fin on the back hands near the mid¬ 
dle, and is of a whitifh colour5 it has nineteen rays 3 the pe&oral fins are whitifh, 
and ftand low ; they have each eighteen rays 5 the ventral fins are very fmall and white 3 
the pinna ani is near the tail, and has eighteen rays 3 the tail is of a greyifh colour, 
forked, and furnilhed'with eighteen rays. 
The heart is of a fquare figure 3 the liver is fmall and angular 3 the fiomach is, as 
it were, double 3 the air-bladder is long, {lender, and protended all along the abdo¬ 
men, and is fimple: the ribs are thirty-five on a fide. 
It is extreamly common in our feas, whence great part of Europe has been long fup- 
plied. It was known from the earlieft times 3 Arifiotle and the other Greeks call it 
jcaAxk, Chalcis 3 Pliny borrows the fame name 5 Bellonius calls it Chacidis fpecies, Ga¬ 
za, Erica, and Orica 3 others, Alec and Haleci Paulus Jovius, Aringa3 and many, 
Harengus 3 the Swedes call it Sill, and the Germans, like us, Herring. 
It varies in fize, being fmaller in fome feas than in others: the fmaller kind has been 
diftinguifhed by the Greeks under the name of Ara 5 and, by Bellonius, under that of 
Celerinus; others call it Mem bras 5 and fome Strommingus, or Stromlingus, from 
the Swedilh, Stromming. 
Y 0 c 
111 
Clupea 
