THE SHORES OF BRITAIN. 85 



individuals of which the shoals are composed, and 

 in the fecundity by which the populousness of these 

 shoals are maintained. Nine millions of eggs have 

 been ascertained to exist in the roe of a single Cod, 

 and the hosts of this, and other species, which during 

 the fishing-season crowd our shores, are utterly be- 

 yond human calculation. These swarms were for- 

 merly believed to perform vast annual migrations in 

 military order from the Polar regions in spring, and 

 back asrain to their homes " beneath the ice" in the 

 autumn. The groundlessness, and even absurdity of 

 this notion has been shown, and it is now generally 

 known, that the fishes are at no part of the year 

 more than a few miles distant from the coast, but 

 that on the approach of warm weather an unerring 

 instinct teaches them, as by common impulse, to 

 seek the shallows near the shore, in order to deposit 

 their spawn within the vivifying influence of the 

 summer sun. This errand business of life being ac- 

 complished, they again retire, not to the Arctic ice, 

 but to the deep water of the offing, where they may 

 again rove in freedom and conscious security. And 

 this is an admirable ordination of Divine Provi- 

 dence, that these tribes are thus periodically brought 

 within the reach of man precisely at the season 

 when they are in the highest condition, and there- 

 fore most wholesome, as well as most agreeable. 

 For they come from the deep water fat, and in 

 full health and vigour ; but after having spawned 

 they return sickly and poor, to recruit their ex- 

 hausted strength. 



The Herring family (Olupeadce), including the 



"h 



