THE HERRING. 



367 



Greenland, and is also found on the coasts of Kamts- 

 chatka. 



In Iceland and Norway,, in the Baltic, at Coleraine 

 in Ireland, at Berwick upon Tweed, at Aberdeen, and 

 in various other places in Great Britain, stationary 

 salmon fisheries are established ; which are extremely 

 productive, and enrich the occupiers, after paying 

 very considerable rents to the proprietors. In soi'ie 

 places, indeed, the salmon constitutes one of the prin- 

 cipal resources of the inhabitants, as an article of food 

 and commerce. The general weight of these fishes is 

 from twenty to thirty, or sometimes even to forty 

 pounds, although we have heard of some being caught, 

 that weighed seventy; but instances of this kind 

 are rarely met with. About the time of spawning, 

 the salmon becomes insipid, and loses miach of its 

 beautiful rose colour, with which its flesh is at other 

 times tinged. 



Although the salmon inhabits the ocean, it ascends 

 the river to deposit its spawn in security, at a great 

 distance from their efflux. These fishes are often 

 taken in the Rhine, as high as Basle, and even ascend 

 to the sources of the rapid rivers of Lapland. 



From this short sketch of the salmon, you will, my 

 dear Sir, easily form a conception of its importance 

 in commerce, and of the copious supply of palatable, 

 wholesome, and nutritious food, which it furnishes for 

 our tables. I shall now direct your attention to an- 

 other fish, interior indeed to the salmon in regard to 

 the quality of the aliment which it furnishes; but 

 equal, or even superior, in regard to its commercial 

 importance. 



THE HERRING 



is universally known; but although any description 

 of its conformation, would, on that account, be totally 

 useless, its history is exceedingly interesting. The 

 high northern latitudes appear to be its native regions : 

 it is there in the greatest abundance; and the frozen 

 ocean which surrounds the pole seems to be the cradle 

 of the species. In those navigable seas, bound up 

 with ice the greatest part of the year, the herring and 

 R 4 



