262 NATURAL APPEARANCES 



iries, lest they should be in too great quantities to 

 find sufficient food in the northern seas Perhaps, 

 also 1 , it is the desire of propagation, and a peculiar 

 instinct, which leads them to the places most favour- 

 able for the increase and preservation of their race. 

 It is certainly these reasons in general that occasion 

 such shoals of herrings to quit the north in the be- 

 ginning of the year ; for in the month of March a 

 wing of their army had already reached the coast of 

 Iceland, and it is their western wing. The herrings 

 are at this season so plentiful there, that by putting 

 the shovel with which the sails are watered into the 

 sea, there are great quantities of them taken up at a 

 time. The eastern wing advances farther into the 

 Baltic Sea. A part of it turns towards the North 

 Cape, sails along the coasts of Norway, and enters 

 through the southern straits into the sea. Another 

 part gains the northern point of Jutland, then enters 

 into the Zuider Zee, and from thence, passes again 

 through the Baltic Sea, in order to return to the 

 place from whence it set out. But the largest de- 

 tachment of the eastern wing, is that which turns to 

 the western coast, in 6rder to turn directly to the 

 Orkney Islands, where the Dutch go to catch them. 

 Towards the 8th of June, the sea in those parts is 

 full of herrings. They then direct their course to- 

 wards Scotland and England, where they fill all 

 the bays and mouths of the rivers with their fry. 

 After having quitted England, they probably re- 

 turn to thei. own country. The prodigious multi- 

 tude of these fish is surprising: one single herring 1 



