The Sea -Herring. 73 



Essex coast. One lot in immense numbers crowded up the 

 estuary to Sea Reach, as far even as the Lower Hope, or 

 beyond that So great was their mass right opposite Leigh in 

 the Fairway Channel, that one boat with a brand new set of nets 

 got these at once so full as utterly to destroy them. Other 

 smaller craft put off, and it was said literally baled them in, so 

 heaped up had the fish got. Almost simultaneously a branch 

 shoal penetrated the Crouch to above Cricksea, and at Burnham 

 quay they were easily lifted out in bucketfuls. 



While small lots here and there annually congregate 

 together at the Thames mouth apart from the larger shoals 

 outside, others more solitary, in one and twos, get scattered all 

 over the estuary, and appear often to keep company for a time 

 with the smaller river-herring and yearling fish. Occasionally 

 the shrimpers may bring up these, but more often they find 

 their way to the whitebaiters' stow-net. 



A few examples, among others within our notice, may be 

 cited, to give an idea of the differences of condition, &c. On the 

 last day of December, 1896, one, a male, 14J inches in extreme 

 length, was brought for examination along with three of the 

 female river-herring 7|, 6^ and 6 inches in length. The milt 

 of the former was well-nigh spent, whilst the ovaries of the 

 latter were only in an early stage of development. They had 

 all been feeding on young sprats and whitebait. On 14th 

 December, 1899, a thin elongate-bodied female, 10| inches long, 

 clearly a North Sea herring in shape and appearance, was 

 procured. There were only a few eggs left in the ovary, other- 

 wise this last was watery and flaccid, with other proofs of being 

 a fully-spent fish. With this was a 6| inch herring of the 

 estuarine or river type. On 5th March, 1900, two long gaunt 

 specimens, a male and female, respectively 10J and 10 inches 

 long, both shotten, were taken in the whitebaiters' stow-net 

 along with a number of " yawlings," sprats, and whitebait. 

 Such another pair of sea-herring were taken by the same 

 party on 19th Mnrch. Another characteristic example on the 

 20th March was 11 inches long. By April and May these 



