GREA T BRITAIN. 101 



birds, they are great enemies to pilchards, the herring-fry, 

 and the sand-launce, &c. Thompson found young ClupeicUz 

 in one he opened in August. Ball states that he has seen 

 the " scad " run upon shore in considerable numbers, but 

 whether in pursuit of young sprats termed scad-bait, or to 

 avoid porpoises, Delphinns phoccena, which were conspicuous 

 in their rear, he was unable to say. In Norfolk, Mr. Upcher 

 observed that he had frequently seen large numbers of the 

 scad in chase of small fry along the coast at Sherringham, 

 and so intent in the pursuit as to be easily taken with 

 a landing net. The beach was quite covered with small 

 fish which were stranded on the shingle after leaping from 

 the water to escape their pursuers. R. Couch has observed 

 that the " mackerel " and " scad " do not intermingle much, 

 except near the Scilly Isles, where they are frequently 

 caught together in large quantities. North of this the 

 mackerel predominate ; to the south the scad ; and it is 

 surmised that in the winter months the shoals of scad are 

 to the south of those of the mackerel, the borders of the 

 two intermingling. They pass up the channel during the 

 spring in the deep water, feeding at the bottom ; but as 

 summer advances they approach the shore, swimming high, 

 and these are frequently taken by mackerel nets, as well as 

 by hooks and lines. 



Means of capture. As many as 20,000 have been taken 

 off Cornwall in a net at one time. In September and 

 October they are captured in numbers in the Cornish 

 pilchard nets. Some are taken in the salmon nets in the 

 Firth of Forth. 



Baits. Large ones readily take a bait. 



Breeding. June, July, and August (but in the Medi- 

 terranean during the spring, according to Risso). In 

 September the bays in Cornwall swarm with the young of 





