292 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



enough for five days, without the slightest sign of irritation or 

 inconvenience. Then I fished him out again, and deposited 

 him in an aquarium with three small carp for companions ; 

 here he was quite happy and kept them company for some 

 days after, when, if I remember rightly, I gave him his 

 liberty for his good behaviour. 



DOG-FISHES V. HERRINGS 



The following entry in my notebook is dated October 2Oth, 

 1906: 



" Walked to the harbour mouth this afternoon to see 

 what the wind of a day or two previous might have caused 

 to be washed ashore. I found thousands of herrings thrown 

 up by the tide, and spread in a decaying line at least three 

 miles in length. It may be well to mention that a westerly 

 wind causes jetsam to come ashore, whereas an easterly 

 wind drives to the beach such objects as float. I noticed 

 that nine out of every ten herrings showed bites from dog- 

 fishes, packs of which destructive fishes play great havoc 

 with the herrings fast in the net, as well as those swimming 

 in shoals. The dog-fish always bites out pieces very like a 

 Brazil-nut, both in size and shape ; now and again the spiny 

 beast himself becomes entangled in the meshes of the net 

 and is drowned, or knocked on the head by the fishermen as 

 they clear the incoming nets." 



STRANDED FISH 



One of the delights of the seashore to me is the ever- 

 likely chance of finding queer or interesting creatures thrown 

 ashore by the waves. The little heaps of seaweed shot out 

 of the beachman's draw-net, although, correctly speaking, 

 pitched there by accident, afford one much entertainment in 

 sorting over the small and the juvenile fishes kicking about 

 amongst them, but do not conduce to speculation and de- 

 duction as to the relationship of effects with causes. The 

 finding and the condition of the great number of dead 

 herrings already referred to were accidental. I do not think 

 they would have been there but for the onslaughts of the 



