An extraordinary quantity of FiJJj on thefea coajl fiear Delft, noted by 

 the Author, ivith the reafons ajfigned by him for the fame, 



XN the months of April and May 1716, tliere were brought to our 

 town of Delft, from the fea coafts at Schevling, Catwick, and Ter- 

 lieid, a great quantity of the fifh called haddocks, which, though 

 very frefh and good, were fold at a low price. The glut of this filh 

 was fo great, that though in general they are caught with hooks, 

 they were on this occafion, taken in nets. 



Seeing this, I confidered, that there mufi: be ibme particular rea- 

 fon, why thefe fifli fliould at that time refort to our coafts in fuch 

 multitudes, and I was afterwards confirmed in that opinion, for in a 

 month or two afterwards, not one of thofe fifli was to be taken : and 

 tlie reafon which 1 alfigned to myfelf for the abundance I have men^- 

 tioned was, that at that time, there was a greater quantity of food 

 for them on the coafl: than ufual, whereby they had been tempted 

 tliither. 



In order to inveftigate this matter, I opened the ftomachs of many 

 haddocks, and found them to be filled with a certain I'mall fpecies of 

 flirimps, called by our fifhermen meutjens, which are taken among, 

 the common flirimps, and are ufed for food by people living along the 

 Hi ore. 



About a fortniglit afterwards, on examining the ftomachs of the 

 haddocks, I found I'omc of them quite empty, and others not more 



