GEN. CLUPEA. THE HERRING. 163 



the idea of their approaching our shores from a 

 northern quarter. It may be added, that the opinion 

 in question receives further support from the con- 

 sideration that the Pilchard, which is so closely re- 

 lated to the Herring, and which, like it, was at one 

 time thought to migrate to the north, is now known 

 to reside permanently in our British seas, and, in fact, 

 is extremely restricted in its movements. Further 

 observations, however, seem requisite to enable us 

 to speak conclusively on this subject. 



The ordinary season of spawning is about the end 

 of October and beginning of November, but there 

 is reason to believe that many of them spawn at> 

 other times. '' The spawning of these fish in 

 October only," says Dr. Parnell, " does not appear 

 to me to account for the number of small fry, two 

 inches in length, that are found in the Firth of Forth 

 during the month of July ; and the young Herrings 

 that are taken from six to seven inches longr in the 

 month of February, mixed also with fry from two 

 to three inches in length. When Herring are brought 

 to the market in the two first months of the year, 

 I have always found them full of spawn, and in the 

 middle of March I have observed many very lank, 

 with not a single ovum to be seen in them. Hence 

 it is not improbable that the same species of Her 

 ring may spawn twice in the year, early in the 

 month of March, and also towards the end of Octo 

 ber." * 



As it is solely for the purposes of propagation 

 * Essay on the Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 31i^. 



