260 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 





the beginning or middle of May, when, during that and the 

 subsequent month, they are mostly " matties." The great 

 fishery there is in the Minch, between Long Island and 

 the mainland, continuing until the end of July ; while on 

 the east coast the chief fishery begins about the middle 

 or end of July until the end of September, the fish being 

 full of roe ; while the fishery at Loch Fyne and the south- 

 west coast of Scotland coincides with that on the east, the 

 fish likewise being in a similar condition. Off the coast of 

 Ayrshire, on the Ballantrae Bank, the great fishery is during 

 February and March. A short supply of summer herrings, 

 observes Holdsworth, has been frequently accounted for by 

 the preceding fishery having been largely worked. On the 

 other hand, it has been contended that the summer fish are 

 often as abundant as they ever were before the spring 

 fishery ever came into fashion. Recent experience, how- 

 ever, does not support this statement, as with a more or 

 less successful series of spring fisheries, the summer herrings 

 have been exceedingly scarce for the last seven years 

 (' Deep-Sea Fishing/ 1874, p. 123). 



In the Moray Firth (Gordon, Zool., 1852, x. p. 3480) 

 these fish are generally sought for during six weeks sub- 

 sequent to the middle of July. They gradually move west- 

 wards, and congregate on the far-famed " Gwillam " Bank, 

 about half a square mile in size and opposite the Bay of 

 Cromarty. A storm sends them away, and they do not 

 return that year. About the middle of August they swim 

 lower in the water, and generally disappear in September. 

 He also mentions " winter herrings," a stronger and larger 

 variety, with fewer scales. At Aberdeen, July 4th, 1882, 

 there was a fair catch of full herrings. 



The Yarmouth herring fishing in 1 88 1 commenced 

 June 1 6th, but the fishery there and at Lowestoft generally 



