40 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Those containing neither milt nor roe are designated by 

 a peculiar name, are very fat, but must be eaten whilst 

 fresh, as they will not keep. The others are termed 

 Full Herrings. The art of curing herrings was dis- 

 covered in Holland, at an early time, and even to this 

 day the Dutch herrings are considered the best. Very 

 often these fish are salted on board the boats, with coarse 

 sea salt, but on landing, the barrels are unpacked, and 

 resalted ; the next process is that of smoking ; they are 

 then called Red herrings. To effect this, the fish are 

 hung in rows by their heads, on long rods or poles; 

 these are placed in rows, often to the number of twelve 

 hundred at a time, in a kind of drying-house, and 

 smoked over a fire made of dry brush or twigs. Her- 

 rings are best to be eaten fresh, but as they spoil readily, 

 they can not be transported in that state to any distance. 

 In order, however, to preserve their original freshness as 

 much as possible, they are what is termed 'marinated 

 that is, soaked in milk, in order to extract the salt, and 

 afterwards laid in oil and vinegar, highly spiced. The 

 wonderful increase of these fish borders on the marvel- 

 ous. It is reckoned that a thousand millions are taken 

 every year; as many more perish by the pursuit of 

 rapacious fishes, and yet, in their .annual returns, they 

 seem to suffer no diminution. 



Resembling the herrings, and scarcely less numerous, 

 on the coast of England, are the Pilchards. They are, 

 however, fatter, and altogether preferable. 



The Sardelle or Sardine (clupea sardina), a species 

 of small herring, only six and a half inches, never reach- 

 ing a span in length, is found in the Mediterranean, and 

 on the coasts of France, and especially of Sardinia. 

 During winter it keeps in the depths of the sea, but 



