the Salmon, Herring, and Vendace. 509 



of positive inquiry and of fixed results, any legislative enactments 

 were likely to prove beneficial, or ought ever with propriety to have 

 been attempted. PENNANT, our illustrious British naturalist, but 

 a few years ago traced the progress of the vast shoals of herring 

 from the Northern Ocean and from the Poles to the British shores, 

 evidently labouring under the erroneous impression that they al- 

 ways kept together in masses ; and this statement, which at the 

 time most persons assumed to be a fact, is now declared by the 

 compilers of works on Natural History to be a mere fable and 

 romance. From this great and leading fact, the discovery of the 

 proper food of the herring and corregonus, flow considerations of 

 a nature which it would be difficult at the present moment fully 

 to state. The extremely erroneous notions of its habits' and 

 habitat become easily corrected, and its state both previous to 

 and after visiting our shores fully appreciated. 



But a full inquiry into the natural and economical history of 

 the herring, is, I fear, beyond the reach of any one whose time is 

 necessarily so fully occupied as mine : it would also be a trouble- 

 some and expensive inquiry, and would lead me away from my 

 proper business and pursuits into a field of boundless national 

 utility no doubt, but devoid of all personal interest or advantage. 



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