70 MACKAItEL. 



and from the same authority; but in the last-named instance 

 it has been disproved, and it is no less imaginary in reference 

 to the Mackarel. 



Dr. Edmonson, in his view of the Zetland Islands, informs 

 us that they only reach that coast in August, and continue no 

 longer than about a month; and there are further proofs of 

 the bounds within which they limit themselves, as well as 

 the course they pursue, which is particularly pointed out by 

 the time and manner of the fisheries which are carried on 

 for the purpose of taking them. These Ave find to differ in 

 time only, according to the manner in which the fishing is 

 conducted, the adventurous spirit of the fishermen, or the 

 distance of the place from that portion of the sea from which 

 they are expected to come. Large numbers of boats, both 

 French and English, from the eastmost and narrow parts of 

 the British Channel, assemble at Plymouth early in the spring, 

 for the purpose of seizing the occasion which the weather 

 may afford them to shoot their nets at the entrance of the 

 Channel; for, from experience, it is to the west, and not the 

 east or north, they look for success. Risso says that this 

 fishery is carried on at Nice in the spring; and Cuvier, that 

 the season at Aigne Montes is in April, in Languedoc from 

 June to August, at Fregus, in Provence, from May to 

 October, and in the Black Sea and the Tauride it is in the 

 spring as well as summer, when they are met in great schools 

 coming from the west. They are not found to enter the Sea 

 of Azof. 



Recur rins: aarain to the north we are informed that in the 

 Baltic the Mackarel at all times are few, and of small size; 

 but, according to Professor Nilsson, ("Skandinavisk Fauna," — 

 Fiskarna,) although they are not commonly found south of 

 Gothenburg, he has known them to come on the coast of 

 Sweden, and in one instance in very considerable numbers. 

 This was in the summer of 1851, when immense quantities 

 were taken in the Sound, but they were so small that it 

 required three to weigh a pound. 



We may further remark of the Mackarel taken early in the 

 spring, that they often differ in quality according to the season 

 and place, a circumstance which may with much probability 

 be ascribed to the variety of food they chance to meet with 



