210 ZOOLOGY. 



America. They have never been seen to return to the north, and their 

 migrations themselves occur neither at perfectly regular intervals nor in 

 the same direction. The density of the columns also varies much in 

 different parts of the army. In some seasons the numbers are countless, in 

 others very limited ; at one time the individuals will be fat and large, at 

 another very lean. By the end of August they are no longer seen. The 

 Dutch, who, since 1164, have prosecuted the herring fishery with the 

 greatest success, sometimes employ whole fleets of boats in the pursuit. At 

 no very remote period, the number of boats annually leaving the Texel, 

 under the protection of vessels of war, amounted to not less than eleven or 

 twelve hundred. This trade was at its highest state of prosperity in the 

 year 1618, at which time the number of boats employed was 3000, manned 

 by fifty to sixty thousand men. Since that time the trade has passed out 

 of the hands of the Dutch, to a certain extent, and is carried on hf many 

 nations of northern Europe. According to Black, the fishermen of Gothen- 

 burg alone, in his time, took upwards of 700,000,000 herrings. More than 

 130,000 barrels have been exported from Bergen in Norway; the amount 

 consumed in the entire land exceeding double this number. At the present 

 day, the largest quantities are taken on the shores of England. Recent 

 investigations have rendered it probable that the herring actually does live 

 within a moderate distance of the localities where it is caught, coming in 

 from the deep water for the sake of depositing its spawn. 



A beautiful spectacle is exhibited when the herring approach the shores ; 

 ihe rays of the sun are reflected from myriads of silver scales, and above 

 the army may be seen hovering hosts of gulls, terns, and other sea birds. 

 Behind and alongside are numerous rapacious fish, which, with seals, por- 

 poises, and other marine animals, devour immense numbers. The water is 

 filled with loose scales, rubbed off" by their close proximity. On account of 

 their vast numbers, these fish are very easily captured. This is done by 

 means of nets, either on shore or at sea. Every Dutch smack has four 

 smaller boats along with it, to carry fresh fish to the sea ports, and for other 

 purposes. They use nets of 500 or 600 fathoms in length, made of coarse 

 Persian silk, as being stronger than hemp. These are blackened by smoke, 

 in order that the fish may not be frightened by the white thread. The nets 

 are set in the evening, buoyed by empty barrels, and stretched by weights ; 

 they thus rest at 'the surface of the sea. In the morning they are drawn 

 in by means of a windlass. The herrings are sometimes attracted within 

 reach of the nets by lanterns suspended at various intervals. But a faint idea 

 -can be formed of the actual number of these prolific fishes, which exists at 

 one time in the ocean. When we remember, however, that an annual 

 consumption of over two thousand millions in Europe, not to mention the 

 myriads devoured by fishes, birds, and various marine vertebrata, scarcely 

 appears to affect their number, we may obtain an approximate conception 

 of what that number must be to which the sum of those annually destroyed 

 is in such small proportion. 



As the herrings are so abundant, and the flesh at the same time so excel- 

 lent, various modes have been adopted to preserve them for a certain length 

 414 



