732 PISCES-HERRING. 



THE HERRING.i 



The common herring is distinguished from the other fish of the same 

 tribe, by the projection of the lower jaw, which is curved, and by having 

 seventeen rays in the ventral fin. The head and mouth are small, the 

 tongue short, pointed, and armed with teeth; the covers of the gills general- 

 ly have a violet or red spot, that disappears soon after the death of the fish, 

 which survives a very short time, when taken out of its natural element. 



Of all the migrating fish, the herring and the pilchard take the most ad- 

 venturous voyages. Herrings are found in the greatest abundance in the 

 highest northern latitudes. In those inaccessible seas, that are covered with 

 ice for a great part of the year, the herring and pilchard find a quiet and 

 sure retreat from all their numerous enemies ; thither neither man, nor their 

 still more destructive enemy, the fin-fish, or the cachalot, dares to pursue 

 them. The quantity of insect food which those seas supply is very great; 

 whence, in that remote situation, defended by the icy rigor of the climate, 

 they live at ease, and multiply beyond expression. From this most desira- 

 ble retreat, Anderson supposes they would never depart, but that their num- 

 bers render it necessary for them to migrate; and, as bees from a hive, they 

 are compelled to seek for other retreats. 



For this reason, the great colony is seen to set out from the icy sea about 

 the middle of winter ; composed of such numbers, that if all the men in the 

 vv'orld were to be loaded with herrings, they would not carry the thousandth 

 part away. But they no sooner leave their retreats, but millions of enemies 

 appear to thin their squadrons. The fin-fish and the cachalot swallow bar- 

 rels at a yawn ; the porpus, the grampus, the shark, and the whole nume- 

 rous tribe of dog-fish, find them an easy prey, and desist from making war 

 upon each other ; but still more, the unnumbered flocks of sea-fowl that 

 chiefly inhabit near the pole, watch the outset of their dangerous migration, 

 and spread extensive ruin. 



In this exigence, the defenceless emigrants find no other safety, but by 

 crowding closer together, and leaving to the outmost bands the danger of 

 being the first devoured ; thus, like sheep when frightened, that always run 

 together in a body, and each finding some protection in being but one of 



1 Clupea hareng-us, Lin. The genus Clupca has the intermaxillary bones narrow, 

 arched before, and divided longitudinally into many pieces ; mouth not entirely furnished 

 with teeth, and often edentate ; bellv compressed, carinated, the scales forming a serraturo 

 on the ridge ; one dorsal fin, above the ventral ones. 



