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they so fwallow, remain in their llomachs feveral days, until their 

 bones are by the procefs of digeftion fo comminuted, as to be fit 

 for admiffion into the inteftines. 



Since then we fee, that Herrings have fo httle food at a time in their 

 ftomachs and inteftines, and yet become fo very fat, vs^hich I think 

 is owing to their taking abundance of nourifliment, we muft con- 

 clude, that there are more animalcules or minute fifties in the fea, 

 than has ever yet been thought of : and hence we are not to wonder 

 that Herrings are fometimes caught in one, and fometimes in another 

 part of the fea ; fometimes in the fliallows, and fometimes in the 

 deep water, according to the places where the fmall filhes on which 

 they feed do from time to time refort ; fo that, here I think, the 

 words of fcripture may be applied " Wherefoever the carcafe is, 

 there will the Eagles be gathered together." 



About the end of March, fome more of the fame fort of Herrings 

 were brought to our town for fale ; feveral of thefe I opened, and 

 faw that their livers were as large in proportion to their fize as thofe 

 in other fifti, which livers were alfo provided with a gall-bladder ; 

 thefe Herrings were in that ftate, that many of them were deftitute 

 of roes. In examining the chyle which I took out, both from their 

 ftomachs and inteftines, I perceived no difference, except by obferv- 

 ing in fome of them a few round particles, which I deemed to be 

 eggs of fifli; and of this I was the more afl'ured when, upon breaking 

 the membrane in which thefe round particles were enclofed, and 

 which was very tough, I faw the contents to be of a fluid nature, 

 mixed with larger and fmaller globules. Several of thefe round 

 particles I feparated, as well as I could, from the chyle, and placed 

 befide them fome fingle grains, or eggs, which I had taken out of 

 the hard roes of other Herrings, and then I clearly found that thofe 

 globules which I had taken out of the ftomach and bowels, were 

 Herring's eggs ; whence, I concluded, that thofe Herrings which, 

 about this feafon, are fometimes caught in the Zuyder Zee. in such 

 quantities, that they are more than fufticient for confumption, will, 

 for want of other food, devour their own eggs or roes. 



