250 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XVIIL 



north-west, they are pursued by thousands and tens 

 of thousands of birds and countless numbers of 

 fishes ; and wherever the herring shoals are, there 

 are these devourers. From the aristocratic salmon 

 to the ignoble and ferocious dog-fish, all follow up 

 and prey upon the shoals ; whilst their feathered 

 foes mark out their track by the constant screaming 

 and plunging into the water which they keep up 

 during their pursuit. The Solan geese from mid- 

 air dash with unerring aim on the bright and silvery 

 fish ; whilst the cormorants and other diving sea- 

 fowl pursue the dense crowd with indefatigable 

 eagerness. In addition to all this, sea-gulls of 

 every kind, like the skirmishers of an army, keep 

 up a constant pursuit of all stragglers or wounded 

 fish which come near enough to the surface to be 

 caught by these birds, who have neither the power 

 of the Solan goose, to pounce hawk-like on their 

 prey (even when at some depth from the surface), 

 nor the diving power of the cormorant or guillemot, 

 who can pursue them deep down into the water. 

 Altogether, a shoal of herring, with its numerous 

 accompaniments, is a most amusing and interest- 

 ing sight, independent of the consideration of the 

 great importance of this fish to mankind, the num- 

 ber of people to whom it serves as food, and the 

 number who are employed in its pursuit. 



