OUR FOOD FROM THE SEA 193 



undesired experiment in the restriction of fishing, on an enor- 

 mous scale, will result in the re-stocking of depopulated 

 grounds such as the "Dogger Bank," and give rise to greatly 

 increased fisheries in these home waters after the war. 



Turning now to the chief kinds of fish caught, they may be 

 divided for practical purposes into the " round " and the 

 " flat " fish. Round fish are those such as cod, herring and 

 salmon where the body is more or less circular in cross-section, 

 while flat fish include the equally familiar soles and plaice, 

 with flattened upper and lower surfaces. Amongst round 

 fishes there are two groups of primary importance, those 

 related to the cod (Gadidae) and those of the herring tribe 

 (Clupeidae). The former include : 



Hake, a southern fish forming the greater part of the catch off the 



south of Ireland, in the Bay of Biscay, and southwards to 



Morocco. 

 Haddock, a northern fish forming nearly half the total catch from 



the North Sea. 

 God, a northern fish very abundant north of the British area, 



around the Faroes and Iceland, etc. 

 Whiting, abundant in the North Sea and generally around our 



coast. 

 Ling, a northern fish, abundant on the west of Ireland, Scotland 



and farther north. 



The herring family (Clupeidae) includes the sprat, the 

 pilchard (the young of which is so familiar in the preserved 

 form of " sardines "), the anchovy and, most important of all, 

 the true herring. All these Clupeoid fishes are noteworthy for 

 the relatively large amount of fat they contain in the form of 

 minute globules of oil disseminated through their flesh, while 

 the cod and its allies are almost destitute of fat. The herring, 

 however, has a very different amount of fat in its composition 

 in different states and at different times. For example, the 

 winter herring in poor condition may have only 4 or 5 per cent 

 of fat, while the spawning summer herring may have from 

 30 to 40 per cent. The average of three series of Manx 

 herring, caught in the summer of 1917 and cured in brine, gave 



o 



