SHAD, Alansa or .Alnsa, a genes of fishes of the family cluprithe, differing from duper: (the herring. etc.) in having the upper jaw deeply notched. The teeth are very small, on the jaws only. and often wanting, at least in the adult fish. The species are iiamerous, inhabiting the sea, hut some of them ascending rivers like the salmon, and spawn hug there. They are very like herrings in form and appearance, and on this a&•ount, and their large size, the British species receive from Scottish fishermen' the name of king of the herrings. The herrings of extraordinary size. of which the capture is some times reported, are probably always shad.—The COMMON StiAn, or Amacit SHAD (A. ma ma n is rather thicker and deeper in proportion to its length than the herring. It is found on the British coasts, and in the lower part of sonic of the large rivers, more abundantly in the Severn than in any other British river. It attains a length of two or even three feet, and a weight of from four to eight pounds. It has no teeth. There is n single black spot behind the gills. Its flesh is of good flavor. The TIVAITH SHAD (.1.
fintu) is more plentiful on the British coasts, and is the common shad of the Thames, b the foul state of the river has now made it of very rare occurrence above London. It is smaller than the Allice shad, seldom exceeding 16 in. in length; there are small teeth in both jaws, and a row of dusky spots along each side of the body. The flesh is coarser, and less esteemed than that of the Allice shad, but much used for food wherever the fish Is plentiful. This species spawns later in the year that the last, Mid in order to permit is to deposit its spawn, its capture in the Thames is prohibited after the cud of June. It abounds in many of the rivers of France, and other parts of Europc.—A tf shad, generally about four or fire pounds, but sometimes twelve pounds, is very abundant during some mouths of the year in some of the North American rivers, as the Hudson, Delaware, Chesapeake, and St. Lawrence, and forms an important source of wealth. It is hiply esteemed for food. Great quantities are salted.