Dr. Mac Culloch on the Herring. 217 



the establishment of that business. But the kelp fires did not 

 drive them away from other shores, * 'hich they frequent and aban- 

 don indifferently without regard to this work. It has been a still 

 more favourite and popular fancy, that they were driven away by 

 the firing of guns ; and hence this is not allowed during the fish- 

 ing season. But this, like the former, is causa pro con causa. A 

 gun has scarcely been fired in the Western islands, or on the west 

 coast since the days of Cromwell ; yet they have changed their 

 places many times in that interval. In a similar manner, and with 

 similar truth, it was said that they had been driven from the Bal- 

 tic by the battle of Copenhagen. It is amusing to see how old 

 theories are revived. This is a very ancient Highland hypothesis, 

 with the necessary modification. Before the days of guns and 

 gunpowder, the Highlanders held that they quitted coasts where 

 blood had been shed : and thus ancient philosophy is renovated. 

 The steam-boats are now supposed to be the culprits ; since a rea- 

 son must be found. To prove their effect, Loch Fyne, visited by a 

 daily steam-boat, is now their favourite haunt ; and they have left 

 Loch Hourn and Loch Torridon, where these have never yet 

 smoked. 



The recent and present state of the eastward fishery will furnish 

 facts equally at variance with any theory of the herring ; and as it 

 is only by collecting and comparing these that we can form any 

 hopes of attaining a true one, I may state the more important par- 

 ticulars. 



Informer times, the fishery of the east coast did not commence 

 till that on the west had terminated. It was then supposed, and 

 not very unreasonably, that the fish had changed their ground, 

 and that these were the western herrings. Yet it ought to have 

 been plain that this was not the case, as the eastern fish were en- 

 tirely different in quality from the western, and very far inferior. 

 At the same time, they were in that condition as to spawning, 

 which proved that they could not have been the same fish. The 

 fact of their being entirely different fish is now at least fully proved, 

 because on both shores the period of the fishery has been the same. 

 It is remarkable also that the eastern fishery has become so abun- 



