Or HERRING S. 237 
coafts. They arrive in Georgia and Carolina the latter 
end of January, and in Virginia in February ; and coaft- 
ing from thence eaftward to New-England, they divide 
and go into all the bays, rivers, creeks and even fmall 
ftreams of water in amazing quantities, and continue 
{pawning in the frefh water until the latter end of April, 
when the old fith return into the fea, where they change 
their latitudes by a northward direétion and arrive at New- 
foundland in May; after which we neither hear or fee any 
thing more of them in America, until their return amongft 
us the enfuing fpring, and bring with them a providential 
blefling to the poor. Their coming fooner or later up our 
rivers depends onthe warmth or coolnefs of the feafon: And 
it is further obferved that if a few warm days invite them 
up, and cool weather fucceeds, it totally checks their paflage 
until more warm weather returns. From all which cir- 
cumftances it appears probable there is a certain degree of 
warmth particularly agreeable to them, which they en- 
deavour to enjoy by changing their latitude according to 
the diftances of the fun. ‘Thus they are found in the Bri- 
tifh channel in September, but leave it when the fun is at 
too great a diftance from them in the fouthern hemifphere, 
and pufh for a more agreeable climate; and when the 
weather in America becomes too warm in May, (after 
having depofited their eggs in fhallow water and fecured 
their young fry from the fifth of prey,) fteer the courfe 
which leads to the cooler northern feas, and by that pru- 
dent change of place perpetually enjoy the temperature of 
climate beft adapted to their nature; which from the table 
hereto annexed, fhewing the places and times of their vi- 
fitation, and the calculation of the diftance of the fun at 
thofe times from them, is that degree of warmth which 
is produced by the mean diftance between 37 to 43 de- 
grees; except whilft they are fpawning; during which 
they bear a greater degree of heat from the neceflity of 
remaining in it a fhort time to fpawn; and alfo on the 
other extreme, when detained at too great a diftance by 
the ifland of Great-Britain and its dependencies. 
th Here 
