2,50 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Description Nurne'ous in the northern latitudes. 



THE HERRING. 



THE common herring is distinguished from 

 the other fish of the same tribe, by the projection 

 of the lower jaw, which is currccl, and by having 

 seventeen rays in the vent fin. The head and 

 mouth are small, the tongue short, pointed, and 

 armed with teeth; the covers of the gills gene- 

 rally have a violet or red spot, that disappears 

 soon after the death of the fish, which survives 

 a very short time when taken out of its natural 

 element; hence the adage in common use, " as 

 dead as a herring." These fish vary greatly in 

 their size. Pennant says, he was informed that 

 there is sometimes taken near Yarmouth a her- 

 ling distinguished by a black spot above the 

 pose, which had been seen of the great length of 

 twenty-one inches and a half. 



Herrings are found in the greatest abundance 

 in the highest northern latitudes, tn those in- 

 accessible seas that are covered with ice for a 

 great part of the year, they find a quiet aud sure 

 retreat from all their numerous enemies. The 

 quantity of insects which those seas supply is 

 immensely great. Thus remotely situated, and 

 defended by the icy rigor of the climate, they 

 live at ease, and multiply continually, coming 

 put from thence in innumerable shoals, partly 

 in spring and partly iu autumn, to the surface 

 of the water, and proceeding to the mouths 

 of the rivc^i* for the purpose of spawning and 



