320 Major Morrison's Observations on the 



when, witli very few exceptions, there was a dog-fish secured 

 by every hook. A large cod had also been caught at the same 

 time, but only the strong cartilages and bones of the head, with 

 part of the vertebrae remained, the rest having been swept away 

 by the dog-fish, and this was probably the work of only a few 

 minutes after its capture. But the effects of their rapacity did 

 not extend to their own species in the same situation, the whole 

 of which were hauled in uninjured. These insatiable fish are 

 assisted in their ravages by the sepiae or cuttle-fish, which, with 

 their hard mouths, resembHng parrots' bills, cut up the macke- 

 rel and herrings with great adroitness. The sepiae are in their 

 turn sometimes attacked by the dog-fish, but they are generally 

 enabled to frustrate attempts of the kind, by ejecting a liquid 

 resembling ink, which, rendering the water turbid and obnoxi- 

 ous, affords them an opportunity of making their escape. 



The mackerel first met with off Hastings in the season, which 

 generally commences about the month of March, come from the 

 German Ocean, to which they are supposed to belong, and ap- 

 pear to be of a different species from those caught off Mounte- 

 bay, in Cornwall, the latter being longer, with the edges of the 

 pectoral fins of a pink-colour, and not so thick in proportion to 

 the former, which are of less weight, with the edges of the pec- 

 toral fins of a blue colour, and are considered of a superior 

 quality. 



The mackerel always appear off Mountsbay earlier than those 

 off Hastings, and come from the Atlantic. The mackerel con- 

 tinue off Mountsbay about a month or five weeks, during which 

 time some decked fishing boats from Folkstone, near Dover, 

 proceed thither, and continue until the fish have disappeared. 

 The crews of these boats, under an impression that the. mac- 

 kerel had moved eastward along the coast, have endeavoured 

 repeatedly on their return to meet with them off the Praul- 

 point, Portland-race, and off the Isle of Wight, without suc- 

 cess. But after an interval of about a month, mackerel, cor- 

 responding in every respect with those fiom the Atlantic, ap- 

 pear off Hastings ; by which it has been inferred, that, after they 

 have disappeared off Mountsbay, they take a south-east direc- 

 tion until they approach the coast of France, when they pro- 

 ceed to the east or north-east. But as the French fishing boats. 



