De pai jah 
N° XXX. 
“Obfervations on the annual Paffage of Herrings, by 
Mr. Joun GILPin. 
S this very ufeful part of ve finny race has never 
been found in the frefh rivers, or waters of Eu- 
rope, it remains a query amongft the naturalifts, where 
they go to {pawn and perpetuate their fpecies. I appre- 
hend this query may be an{wered to the fatisfaction of the 
curious by an account of their annual progrefs, from 
which it will appear they are a fith of paflage, and ob- 
ferve one regular annual rout in the fea, fhifting their 
climate with the fun, and that it is the fame fcoole which 
is found at different times about Britain and in America. 
This opinion is founded on obfervations made on feeing 
them caught at Whitehaven and in this country, from 
which I have not obferved that there is any vifible differ- 
ence in the fifh in the different places, except that thofe 
at Whitehaven are fatter and rounder than thofe in 
‘America; but this difference is not fo great as that be- 
tween the fpring and fall mackarel, and which I conceive 
might be accounted for from the time of the year, and 
manner in which they appear on each coaft. For they are 
found on the other fide the Atlantic, or rather in the North 
fea, in the favourable month of June about the iflands of 
Shetland, from whence they proceed down to the Ork- 
feys, and then dividing, they furround the iflands of 
Great-Britain and Ireland, and unite again off the Land’s 
End in the Britifh channel in September, from whence 
this grand united fcoole fteers fouth-weft, and is not found 
any more on that fide or in the Atlantic, until the fame 
time the enfuing year, but appear next on the American 
coatts, 
