THE MACKREL. 235 



Said to be lonil of human flesh. 



another leaded pole, they throw that overboard. 

 Another coil of rope, similar to the first, is by 

 degrees thrown into the water, as the boatmen 

 make for the shore. The boat s crew now land, 

 and with the assistance of persons stationed there, 

 haul in each end of the net till they come to the 

 two poles. The boat is then again pushed off 

 towards the centre of the net, in order to prevent 

 the more vigorous fish from leaping over the 

 corks. By these means three or four hundred 

 fish are often caught at one haul. 



These fish are said to be fond of human flesh. 

 Pontoppidan relates that a sailor, belonging to a 

 ship lying in one of the harbors on the coast of 

 Norway, went into the water to wash himself, 

 when he was suddenly missed by his companions. 

 In the course of a few minutes, however, he was 

 seen on the surface with vast numbers of mackrel 

 fastened on him. The people went in a boat to 

 his assistance ; and though, when they got him 

 up, they forced with some difficulty the fish from 

 him, they found it was too late, for the poor fel- 

 low very shortly afterwards expired. 



Mackrel deposit their spawn among the rocks 

 near the shore ; their fecundity is truly surprising. 

 Bloch says, that in the month of June the roe of 

 a mackrel weighing one pound and two ounces, 

 contained five hundred forty-six thousand, six 

 hundred and eighty-one eggs. 



In spring their eyes are covered with a white 

 film, that grows in the winter, and is regularly 

 2 G 2 



