THE HERRING FISHERY. <; 



statements, I remember hearing an old legend told, how An old legend 

 that herrings were only to be found on the east coast of 

 Scotland ; so a silver herring was made and towed after a 

 vessel or boat round Cape Wrath, and the whole shoal 

 followed and filled all the west coast. 



I do not doubt that we get a supply of herrings from the Herrings from 

 oceans around, but I think we depend chiefly on the herrings around. 

 bred in our own waters. Men of experience seeing her- Distinctive 

 rings in any of our markets can generally tell where 

 - caught. 



Herrings fished at different places have their own peculiar places quoted, 

 appearance, such as Loch Nevis, large ; Loch Hourn (6 or 8 

 miles distant), small ; Scalpa, large ; Loch Broom, small ; 

 Hebrides, all large ; Loch Fyne, generally large ; and Firth 

 of Clyde, generally small. 



This grouping of herrings in different classes according The herring 

 to size proves, I think, that each class of herring frequents migratory, 

 its own particular locality. I may state that I noticed in a 

 newspaper that one of our professors had examined 

 herrings caught at the Hebrides, and found that they had 

 one or two more joints in the backbone, and one or two 

 more ribs in either side, than herrings caught near the 

 mainland. This shows that there is a difference in the 

 species. 



In the early history of the herring fishing there were Great quanti- 

 sometimes great quantities caught, although the boats and occasionally 

 nets were deficient. The fishermen waited till the herrings in 

 went to the heads of the lochs in shallow water, where their 

 capture was easy. Sometimes their nets were so full of 

 herrings that their boats could not take more than half of 

 them. But that involved no loss, as they could return 

 when empty and haul the remainder. Nothing could go 

 wrong with their nets, as they were generally trammelled in 



