COMMON HERRING. 15() 



fin, which, iii by far the greater number of speci- 

 mens, are found to amount to seventeen * : the 

 back is of a dusky blue or greenish cast, and in 

 the recent or living fish the gill-covers are marked 

 by a reddish, and sometimes by a violet-coloured 

 spot : the eyes are large; the mouth without visible 

 teeth ; the openings of the gill-covers very large ; 

 the scales rather large, and easily deciduous; the 

 lateral line not very distinctly visible ; the abdo- 

 men pretty sharply carinated, and in some speci- 

 mens, slightly serrated : the fins are rather small 

 than large for the size of the fish, and the tail 

 strongly forked. In size the Herring is observed 

 to vary greatly, and there are probably some per- 

 manent varieties of this species which yet want 

 their exact description. The general size is per- 

 haps from ten to twelve or thirteen inches. 



Important as is this fish to the inhabitants of 

 modern Europe, it is doubted whether it was 

 distinctly known to the ancient Greeks and Ro- 

 mans: at least we find no certain description in 

 their writings either of its form or uses. The herring 

 fishery however is of very considerable antiquity : 

 the Dutch are said to have engaged in it so long 

 ago as the year 11 64, and were in possession of it 

 for several centuries, and Flanders had the honour 

 of discovering the method of preserving this fish by 

 pickling it. One William Beukelen, of Biervlct, 

 near Sluys, is said to have been the inventor of this 



* Mr. Pennant says fourteen : the number indeed is not abso- 

 lutely constant, but the most general appears to b<? seventeen. 



