io THE HERRING FISHERIES. 



Further, the pilchard has an exceedingly limited distribu- 

 tion, while the herring has a very wide distribution. The 

 pilchard fishery generally commences about July, and con- 

 tinues to December. Like the herring, the pilchard is a 

 migratory fish, lives in the deep water, and approaches the 

 shores to spawn. The coasts that it most frequents are 

 those of Devon and Cornwall ; in fact, we may say that the 

 fishery is confined to those counties, and the fish appear 

 in great numbers. 



There is yet one other digression that we would make. 

 Scotland has the honour of being the home of two very 

 puzzling fish, namely, the powan of Loch Lomond and the 

 vendace of Lochmaben. Careful observation has " almost 

 persuaded " naturalists to believe these fish to be descen- 

 dants of herrings ; and the reason they assign for the 

 existence of the fish in fresh water is that the monks of old, 

 who, it is to be presumed, lived largely on fish, brought 

 them there. The habits of the fish certainly very much 

 resemble those of herrings. 



We will now consider the question of the herring brand. 

 A very slight examination of the subject will suffice to 

 show that the system is opposed to the principles that should 

 regulate trade. It is true the brand is not compulsory, 

 which, while robbing it of many objections, really amounts 

 to very little, because every large curer is bound to use it 

 for the simple reason that everybody else does. The 

 brand, however, is very useful to small curers, because it 

 gives them a chance of competing with the large curers. But 

 it is a distinct form of State interference an interference 

 in the sale of an article of extensive consumption. What 

 are the reasons that can sanction such an arrangement ? 

 Why are not our potatoes, and cabbages, and boots, and 

 chairs and tables branded ? The chief reason that can be 



