DRIFT-NET FISHING. 119 



our extreme northern coasts at the beginning of the 

 general fishing season, and are gradually later as we 

 proceed south, there was some truth in the old theory 

 of migration, and that the fish caught in the Channel in 

 December are the remains of the shoals which were 

 on the coast of Scotland in August ; but the condition 

 of the fish at the different places is opposed to such an 

 idea. In the north the herrings are "full" at the end 

 of August and in September ; then they spawn and 

 disa23pear. Those caught in the neighbourhood of 

 Yarmouth are not in the best condition — nearly ready 

 to spawn — till October and November. They cannot, 

 therefore, belong to the great shoals which were spawn- 

 ing two months earlier in the north. Again, at the 

 eastern end of the Channel the fish are full in Novem- 

 ber ; but about Penzance, and in the west generally, 

 they do not spawn till December, or even a month 

 later. These differences appear to point to the shoals 

 being distinct and somewhat local, and are quite incon- 

 sistent with any general theory of migration from the 

 Arctic Sea. 



At the Outer Hebrides and on the west coast of 

 Scotland the herring fishery begins in some places as 

 early as April, and goes on continuously till nearly the 

 end of September, when the herrings spawn ; and a 

 separate winter fishery takes jDlace in January and 

 February. The fishermen say the herrings are always 

 on the west coast, but of course are out of condition at 

 certain times. The sj^awning seasons appear to be in 

 September and February or March. 



The great fishery in the Firth of Clyde, Lochfyne, 

 and the Kyles of Bute, is from June to September ; but 

 here again the herrings never seem to be entirely 

 absent, and some may be caught in parts of Lochfyne 



