300 HISTORY OF THE 



of Hamburgh and Jutland, in the fummer. It is 

 no lefs remarkable than providential, that all kinds 

 of fifh, mackarel, and in fome degree herrings ex- 

 cepted, which frequent the Yorkfhire coaft, approach 

 "the fhore, and offer themielves to us generally as 

 long as they are in high feafon, and retire from us 

 when they become unfit for ufe. The beft had- 

 docks for the table are thofe which weigh from 2 

 to 3 pounds ; thofe of a very large kind are coarfe 

 eating. 



Large haddocks begin to be in roe about the mid- 

 dle of November, and continue fo till the end of 

 January ; from that time till May they are very thin 

 tailed, and much out of feafon. In May they begin 

 to recover, and fome of the middling-fized fifh are 

 then very good, and continue improving till the 

 time of their greateft perfection. The fmall ones 

 are extremely good from May till February, and 

 fome even in February, March, and April, viz. 

 thofe which are not old enough to breed. 



The Scarborough fifhermen afiert, that in rough 

 weather haddocks fink down into the fand and 

 ooze in the bottom of the fea, andfhelter themfelves 

 there till the fborm is over, becaufe in ftormy wea- 

 ther they take none, and thofe that are taken imme- 

 diately after a ftorm are covered with mud on their 

 backs. In fummer they live on young herrings and 

 other fmall fifh, in winter on the ftone-coated worms, 

 which the fifhermen call haddock meat. 



WHITINGS. Thefe fifh frequent the Englilh 

 feas in great fhoals, particularly during the fpring, 

 keeping at the diftance of half a mile to three miles 

 from the fhore. They are taken in abundance by 

 the line, and afford excellent diverfion. They are 

 the moft delicate, as well as the moft wholefome of 

 any of the genus, but do not grow to a large fize near 

 the coaft, where the ufual length is 10 or 12 inches. In 

 the deep water on the edge of the Dogger-bank they 

 have been found to weigh from 4 to 8 pounds. 



