WHITEBAIT

small, silvery-white fish, very popular in England and on the Continent, which are found in abundance in the Thames estuary and other British waters during the spring and summer, being considered at their best in July and the first half of August. They were formerly cla ed by some authorities as a separate species, Clupea alba, but they are in reality the young of various fishes—chiefly of the herring and sprat. They are most esteemed when from two to three inches long, although sometimes served at a length of from four to five inches. They are usually fried erisp, and are so tender that both bones and skin are eaten with the flesh. In similar manner, under different names, very small fish of various kinds are widely enjoyed in Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and elsewhere.