£14 
The Hijlory of ANIMALS, 
Clupea minor maxilla Infer lore longiore , Centre acutifjimo . 
Utile Clupea } with the lower jaw longeftand the belly 
very acute . 
Idle 
The fprat has been very generally, but erroneoufiy, fuppofed a herring, not grown 
to it’s full fize; the length is about four or five inches, the breadth fomewhat more, in 
proportion, than in the herring, and the thicknefs of the back proportionably alfo lets; 
the head is com prefled 3 the eyes are large, and the iris a filvery white, but fometimes 
tinged with red 3 there is a fpot on each fide, near the extremity of the coverings of 
the gills, and no other on any other part of the body : the back fin has feventeen. 
rays 3 the pefforal fins have alfo each feventeen rays 3 the ventral ones have fix or 
feven each, and the pinna ani has nineteen. 
The belly, from the gills to the pinna ani, is of an extreamly acute figure, much 
more fo than in the herring3 and the points of the fcales of the fame fize, in the fprat 
and herring, are very different in figure, thofe of the fprat being very acute, whereas 
thofe of the herring are obtufe : the fpurious ribs in the fprat are nine on each fide, the 
vertebrae are forty-eight 3 we find that number in the fmalleft, and no more in the 
largeff 
This is very frequent alfo in our feas, and is brought in furprifing quantities to 
London. 
Clupea apice maxillce fuperiorh bifido 3 maculis 
ni g ris utrinque .. ^ %\jfc f ft tttCt!?££ 
The Clupea , with the upper jaw bifid at the ex- jjjjg 
tremity , and fpotted with black. 
This very confiderably refembles the common herring in many particulars, but it is 
fufficiently diftindt from it in others: the head is compreffed, and fomewhat hollowed 
at the top j the eyes are large, and their iris of a filvery white; the opening of the 
mouth is large, and is furnifhed with a great number of fatal! but fharp teeth : the 
lower jaw is a little longer than the upper, and the upper jaw is bifid or forked at the 
extremity, but the divifion is not deep : on each fide, below the coverings of the gills, 
and near the back, there is a large roundifh black fpot3 and from this there run in a 
ftraight line toward the tail, and a little above the lateral line, four, five, or fix other 
fmaller fpots: the lateral line is firaight, but it is not very confpicuous3 the back is 
of a mixed, bluifh, greenifti, and filvery colour 3 the upper part of the head has a caft 
of yellowifh, and the reft of the body is of a fine filvery white: the fcales are -very 
large ; they are roundifh, foft, and loofely fattened, fo that a little touch takes them 
off: the fcales of the belly, from the gills to the anus, are robuft, and, as it were, 
prickly 3 they are from thirty-five to thirty-feven in number, and are of a very fingu- 
lar figure 3 they are continued from the fides into a long point, and on the lower 
part, both on the fore and hinder fides, they are terminated by a fhort fpine or prickle 5 
the pofterior fpine is the fhorter of the two, and forms the ferrated and prickly carina 
of the belly : all the fins, except that of the back, are whkifh 5 the pedtoral ones have 
fourteen or fifteen bones or rays3 the ventral ones nine 3 the dorfal one eighteen or 
nineteen 3 the pinna ani has twenty-two or twenty-three : the tail is very forked, and 
has nineteen rays5 and, at the bafe of each of the pectoral and ventral fins, there is a 
Angular, oblong, large fcale. 
The body is broader and thinner, in proportion to it’s length, than in the common 
herring3 the back is rounded, and the length of the fifh is more than equal to four 
times it’s breadth. 
We have this in our feas; and in May, and the beginning of June, it 'makes it’s 
way up rivers in vaft abundance. It was well known to the antients : The Greeks 
called it Thriffa 3 and the Latins, Triffa and Alaufa 3 Bellonius calls it Trichis 
and Pulchella 5 Salvian and others, Alofa 3 Charleton, Alofa major 3 and Bellonius, 
Alofa minor 3 others call it Alofa fluviatilis and Clupea 3 Albertus, Ariftotus, and Paulus 
Jovius, Laccia. When of different fizes and growth, it has been defcribed by authors 
alfo under two or three other names 3 Salvian calls it Agone and Acone 5 Charleton, 
Sarachus and Sarachinusj and the Harengus minor and the Bardina of authors are 
