i^i H A K E. Class IV. 



to Bilboa. * We are at this time uninformed of 

 the ftate of this fifhery, but find that Mr. Smithy 

 who wrote the hiftory of the county of Waterforft^ 

 complains even in his time (1746) of its decline. 

 Many of the gregarious fifh are fubjecl: to change 

 their fituations, and defert their haunts for num- 

 bers of years, and then return again. We fee, 

 p. 102, how unfettled the Bajking Shark appears to 

 be: Mr. Smith inftances the lofs of the Hadock on 

 the Waterford fhores, where they ufed to fwarm ; 

 and to our knowlege we can bring the capriciouf- 

 nefs of the herrings, which fo frequently quit their 

 ftations, as another example. 



Sometimes the irregular migration of fifh is 

 owing to their being followed and haraffed by an 

 unufual number of fifh of prey, fuch as the fhark 

 kind. 



Sometimes to deficiency of the fmaller fifh, which 

 ferved them as food. 



And laftly, in many places to the cuftom of 

 trawling, which not only demolifhes a quantity of 

 their fpawn, which is depofited in the fand, but 

 alfo deftroys or drives into deeper waters number- 

 lefs worms and infects, the repaft of many fifh. 



The hake is in England efteemed a very coarfe 

 fifh, and is feldom admitted to table either frefh or 

 faked f. 



* Smith's Htft. Waterford, 261. 

 f When cured it is known by the name of Poor John, 



The 



