CHAPTER VI. 



THE NATURAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY OF 

 THE HERRING. 



Description of the Herring The Old Theory of Migration Geographical 

 Distribution of the Herring Mr. John Cleghorn's Ideas on the Natural 

 History of the Herring Mr. Mitchell on the National Importance of 

 that Fish Commission of Inquiry into the Herring-Fishery Growth 

 of the Herring The Sprat Should there be a Close-time ? Caprice of 

 the Herring The Fisheries The Lochfyne Fishery The Pilchard- 

 Herring Commerce Mr. Methuen The Brand The Herring Harvest 

 All Night at the Fishing The Cure The Curers Herring Boats- 

 Increase of Netting Are we Overfishing ? Proposal for more Statistics. 



THE common herring is one of our most beautiful and 

 abundant fishes, and is so well known as scarcely to 

 require description ; but it has one or two peculiarities of 

 structure that may be briefly alluded to. Its belly, for 

 instance, is keeled (as the Scotch fisher folk call carinated), 

 and is well protected by strong scales, giving us reason to 

 suppose that it is therefore a ground-feeder ; and having a very 

 large pectoral fin, and an air-bag of more than usual dimen- 

 sions, it is thus endowed with a very rapid moving power. I 

 gather from personal observation of many herring stomachs 

 and the stomach of the herring is unusually large that this 

 fish is a devouring feeder, that it preys upon its own young or 

 upon the roe of its congeners when other food is scarce. Its 

 lobes of roe or milt are larger in proportion to its body than 

 those of any other fish. The herring has a fine instinct for 



