THE HERRING. 287 



of no animal could be hatched, they are said to be full- 

 grown, and on their march to warmer regions as soon 

 as the weather begins to get warm ; indeed just as 

 the sun begins to decline northward from the tropic of 

 Capricorn. Onward they move through the wide waves 

 of the spray, followed and feasted upon by sea-fowl ; 

 which, if they obeyed nature, should, at that very time, 

 be attending to their nests, instead of plundering a 

 column of herrings on their march across the wide sea. 

 In the latter end of spring, or beginning of summer, 

 the herrings come to the Shetland islands, where their 

 fancied column is divided, and a division passes up 

 each side of Britain, near the southern coasts of which 

 they are found in autumn and the beginning of winter. 

 The same accounts which particuliarize this progress of 

 the herrings, mention that they are full of roe in June ; 

 and that the young ones " come to our shores " in July 

 and August. Such are the outlines of the annual motion 

 of this fish, as they are detailed by one compiler after 

 another ; and believed by thousands of readers, who 

 never pause to ask if the tale be true, or even possible. 

 Let us ask the question. But before answering it, 

 we must state, that mere criticism of the errors of 

 others is not our object : our own find us full employ- 

 ment in that way. The object which we have in view 

 is to impress upon the reader the absolute necessity of 

 looking at nature as a whole, and seeing that no general 

 law is violated by the theory that is given of any parti- 

 cular part. The migration of the herring was, we be- 

 lieve, first made a pleasing romance by Pennant, a man 

 of much merit for industry, but sadly wanting in that 

 general science, without which no naturalist ought to 



