1 14 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



by insulated males. The largest and strongest 

 are said to lead the shoals, which seem to move 

 in a certain order, and to divide into bands 

 as they proceed, visiting the shores of various 

 islands and countries, and enriching their in- 

 habitants. Their presence and progress are 

 usually indicated by various sea-birds, sharks, 

 and other enemies. One of the cartilaginous 

 fishes, the sea-ape, 1 is said to accompany them 

 constantly, and is thence called the king of the 

 herrings. They throw off also a kind of oily 

 or slimy substance, which extends over their 

 columns, and is easily seen in calm weather. 

 This substance, in gloomy still nights, exhibits a 

 phosphoric light, as if a cloth, a little luminous, 

 was spread over the sea. 



Some conjecture maybe formed of the infinite 

 numbers of these invaluable fishes that are taken 

 by European nations from what Lacepede relates 

 that in Norway twenty millions have been 

 taken at a single fishing, that there are few years 

 that they do not capture four hundred millions, 

 and that at Gottenburgh and its vicinity seven 

 hundred millions are annually taken ; " but what 

 are these millions," he remarks, " to the incre- 

 dible numbers that go to the share of the Eng- 

 lish, Dutch, and other European nations." 



Migrations of these fishes are stated to take 



1 Chimcera monstrosa. 



