330 THE REASON WHY ; 



&quot; The scaly herd, a numerous throng, 

 Beneath her silver billows glide along, 

 Whose still increasing shoals supply 

 The poor man s wants, the great one s luxury.&quot; SOMERVILLE. 



them are acted upon by the same necessity at the same time ; they 

 therefore move together by a common impulse, to fulfil an 

 uniform end. Herrings, and all fishes that are known to swim 

 in shoals, are solitary except when the necessity for spawning 

 approaches, and then the prevailing need brings them together 

 in enormous numbers. 



1054. No adequate conception can be formed of the myriads of herrings and 

 pilchards that move together in what are called shoals, which often extend many 

 wiles in length and breadth. In some of the lochs, or arms of the sea, on the west 

 coast of Scotland, herrings have often been cast ashore by storms in such numbers 

 that they have been used as manure for land. 



Upon one occasion, the bellman of Crail, at the eastern extremity of the 

 peninsula of Fife, was sent round with the bell to announce that any one who 

 chose to go to the shore would get a cart-load of live herrings for a shilling. This 

 passed without much notice; but, by-and-bye, the bellman again went round, pro 

 claiming that any one who chose might go and obtain a cart-load of live herrings 

 for nothing. This announcement, of course, excited some speculation ; but it was 

 speedily followed by a third one that any one who would be kind enough to go to 

 the shore of Crail would get a shilling for taking away a cart-load of herrings. The 

 explanation was, that a storm which was then prevailing continued to drive large 

 skoals of herrings upon the shore ; so that, when left by the ebb-tide, they lay in 

 countless thousands for at least a mile and a half or two miles along the coast. 

 The reason for the latter announcement was a fear on the part of the authorities of 

 Ci ail, that such a quantity of animal matter remaining to putrify on the beach 

 would taint the atmosphere, and cause disease. 



1055. Why are jew herrings and pilchards caught in the cold 

 months ? 



Because they then resort to deep waters, beyond the reach of 

 nets. They keep to the bottom of the sea, where they feed upon 

 small crustaceous animals and a minute species of shrimp not 

 larger than a flea. 



This being their natural food and mode of feeding, it is 

 impossible to take them with a hook, though a rare instance 

 of a pilchard being hooked with a worm is upon record. 



Pilchards are, however, frequently found in the stomachs of 

 large voracious fishes, caught during the colder months. 



