SPRAT  , a marine

fish (Clupea sprattus), named " garvie " in Scotland, one of the smallest species of the genus Clupea or herrings, rarely exceeds 5 in. in length, and occurs in large shoals on the Atlantic coasts of Europe . Sprats are very often con-founded with young herrings, which they much resemble, but can always be distinguished by the Iollowing characters: they do not possess any teeth on the palate (vemer), like herrings; their gill-covers are smooth, without the radiating striae which are found in the shad and the pilchard; the anal fin consists of from seventeen to twenty rays, and the lateral line of forty-seven or forty-eight scales . The ventral fins are slightly anterior to the origin of the dorsal fin; and the spine consists of from forty-seven to forty-nine vertebrae . The sprat spawns in the open sea from February to May and is only occasionally captured in the ripe condition . Its eggs are buoyant and pelagic and easily recognized . The sprat is one of the more important food-fishes on account of the immense numbers which are caught when the shoals approach the coasts . They are somewhat capricious, however, as regards the place and time of their appearance, the latter falling chiefly in the first half of winter . They are caught with the seine or with the bag-net in the tideway . Large quantities are consumed fresh, but many are pickled or smoked and others prepared like anchovies . Frequently the captures are so large that the fish can be used as manure only .