PILCHARD. 171 



the larger body do not perform this function until October, 

 and then at no great distance from the shore. I have known 

 an equally great variation to occur in other fishes, which have 

 in consequence visited us, and been in season, at a time not 

 expected by the fishermen. 



They feed with voracity on small crustaceous animals ; 

 and I have found their stomachs crammed each with thou- 

 sands of a minute species of shrimp, not larger than a flea. 

 It is probably when they are in search of something like 

 this, that fishermen report they have seen them lying in 

 myriads quietly at the bottom, examining with their mouths 

 the sand or small stones in shallow water. The abundance 

 of this food must be enormous, if, as there can be no doubt 

 was the case, all the schulls on the coast were as well fed as 

 the individuals I examined. The Pilchard has been known 

 to swallow a hook baited with a worm ; and it is probable 

 that they devour the roe of fish ; for a gentleman who re- 

 sided on the shores of the Bay of Biscay informed me that 

 it is the custom of the French fishermen to throw large 

 quantities of the salted pea-roe of fish about their nets, to 

 attract Pilchards, and that he has seen much of this spawn in 

 the stomachs of Pilchards so taken. Large quantities of 

 the roe offish are imported into France for this purpose from 

 northern nations. 



When near the coast, the assemblage of Pilchards as- 

 sumes the arrangement of a mighty army, with its wings 

 stretching parallel to the land ; and the whole is composed 

 of numberless smaller bodies, which are perpetually joining 

 together, shifting their position, and separating again. There 

 are three stations assumed by this great body, that have 

 tkeir separate influence on the success of the fishery. One 

 is to the eastward of the Lizard, the most eastern extremity 

 reaching to the Start Point in Devonshire, beyond which 

 no fishery is carried on, except that rarely it extends to 



