GEN. CLUPEA. THE HERRING. 165 



The Herring very often ceases to frequent places 

 where it formerly abounded, and vice versa^ influ- 

 enced in the change by circumstances which it is 

 impossible to account for. They appear in the 

 Firth of Forth in the end of December and begin- 

 ing of January. In the months of June, July, and 

 August, the Edinburgh market is supplied from the 

 Dunbar and Berwick coasts. 



" The mode of fishing for Herrings," says Mr. 

 Yarrell, " is by drift-nets, very similar to those 

 employed for taking Mackerel and Pilchard, with a 

 slight difference in the size of the mesh. The net 

 is suspended by its upper edge from the drift-rope 

 by various sliorter and smaller ropes called buoy- 

 ropes; and considerable practical skill is required 

 in the arrangement, that the net may hang with 

 the meshes square, smooth, and even in the water, 

 and at the proper depth ; for, according to the wind, 

 tide, situation of their food, and other causes, the 

 Herrings swim at various distances below the sur- 

 face. 



" The size of the boat used depends on the dis- 

 tance from shore at which the fishery is carried on ; 

 but, whether in deep or shallow water, the nets 

 are only in actual use during the night. It is found 

 that the fish strike the nets in much greater num- 

 bers when it is dark than while it is light : the 

 darkest nights, therefore, and those in which the 

 surface of the water is ruffled by a breeze, are con- 

 sidered the most favourable. It is supposed that 

 nets stretched in the day time alarm the fish, and 



