GEN. SCOMBER. THE COMMON MACKE?IEL. J 89 



caught, which yet form a small portion compared 

 with the myriads which escape. It may be observed 

 further, that as there is scarcely a month through- 

 out the year in which the fishes of one or more 

 species are not brought within the reach of man by 

 the operation of the imperative law of Nature re- 

 ferred to, a constant succession of wholesome food 

 is thus spread before him, which, in the first in- 

 stance, costs him but little beyond the exercise of 

 his ingenuity and industry to obtain. 



The Mackerel is taken nearly round the whole 

 coast of Ireland ; and it visits the Western Isles of 

 Scotland, but not in great abundance. On the Cor- 

 nish coasts, in some seasons, it occurs as early as 

 March, pursuing a course from west to east ; and 

 they are plentiful on the Devonshire coast about 

 June. On the Hampshire and Sussex coasts, they 

 arrive as early as I^Iarch, and sometimes even in 

 February, the fishermen finding them further from 

 shore the earlier they go in search of them. On 

 our eastern coast, the fishing is later : at Lowestoffe 

 and Yarmouth, the great harvest for them is in 

 May and June ; in the Frith of Forth, where they 

 are not very abundant, it is in June and July, whilst 

 in Orkney they do not make their appearance till 

 the last week in July or the first of August. From 

 an examination of the JMackerel sent to the London 

 market from the shallow shore off Worthing, it is 

 manifest that these fish deposit their roe earlier 

 than those caught in the deep w^ater off Brighton. 

 The young Mackerel, caUed Shiners^ are from four 



