io The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



seems to have been introduced when the demand for fish 

 and the means of conveying it to market were much more 

 limited than at present, and when it was therefore often 

 found necessary to throw overboard much of the less 

 valuable descriptions, which could not bear the cost of 

 transport. The use of the word " offal " may now be held 

 to signify the more plentiful and lower-priced class of fish, 

 which finds its way in the greatest abundance to the large 

 towns. The proportion of " prime " and " offal " fish caught 

 by the trawl varies considerably, but may be taken at an 

 average of one-fourth " prime " to three-fourths of " offal." 

 Of " prime," the sole seems to be the general favourite. It 

 is more eaten in London than any other description of 

 " prime" fish, and during the summer a considerable supply 

 is sent daily from the London fish-market to Paris. 



Notwithstanding the enormous increase which has 

 taken place in the population of the metropolis during the 

 last twenty years, it is very questionable if the weight of 

 fish annually received has not actually diminished. The 

 falling off in the supplies which reach us by water is very 

 remarkable. In 1848 it amounted to 108,739 tons; but 

 in 1871 it fell to 44,077 tons. This reduction has been 

 gradual but continuous from year to year. The quantity 

 brought to town by railway has, on the other hand, in- 

 creased, but hardly in the ratio of the diminution by water. 

 There are no statistics of our fish supplies by rail available 

 prior to 1865, but the quantity which reached us in this 

 way in 1871 was 72,386 tons. The fish imports into 

 London by water were in 



Tons. 



l8 4 8 ... 108,737 



1871 ... ... ... 44,077 



The total weight of fish brought to London by water 

 and rail was in 



