MACKERELS. 133 



shallow parts of the rocky lakes (in which only- 

 it is found), and some of the streams that run 

 into them : it is tlien taken in abundance : but 

 so soon as the spawning is over, the fishes retire 

 into the deepest parts of the lake, and are but 

 rarely caught.* 



The principal Mackerel fisheries are on the 

 Devon and Cornwall coasts, the Norfolk and 

 Sufi"olk coasts, and on those of Kent and Sus- 

 sex. The London market is principally supplied 

 from the latter. In the French fisheries a great 

 number of the Mackerel taken are salted ; and a 

 few are so treated in Cornwall, and in the south 

 and west of Ireland ; but in this country, gene- 

 rally, this fish is consumed in a fresh state. It 

 is, however, one of those species which are pecu- 

 liarly liable to rapid decomposition, in which state 

 it is said to be not only ofiensive, but scarcely 

 less than poisonous. Hence it is highly expedient 

 that it be transmitted to its final market with the. 

 least possible delay. The stringency of our laws 

 against Sunday trading has been relaxed in 

 favour of Mackerel, which, with milk, is the only 

 article permitted to be publicly hawked through 

 the streets of the metropolis on the Lord's day. 



On such parts of the Kentish coast as are suffi- 

 ciently near to the mouth of the Thames, the 

 Mackerel fishing-boats are accompanied by fieet- 

 sailing cutters, which collect the produce of the 

 aggregated hauls as they are brought in, and run 

 up with the wind and tide to Billingsgate, leaving 

 the boats to pursue their fishing. From points 

 farther to the westward, as Hastings and Brigh- 

 ton, it is found more convenient to send the pro- 



* Mag. Nat. Hist. vii. 637. 



