110 SPRAT. 



fishes in its season of absence, and is not looked for until a 

 little after midsummer and towards autumn, after which it 

 becomes abundant, and continues to be caught through the 

 winter; but its time of appearing varies in different places 

 and in different years, and the same uncertainty appears to 

 exist in regard to the season of spawning, which, however, 

 occurs in summer, and probably late in the autumn also. It 

 appears, however, that the young fry are not so well known 

 as those of the Herring and Pilchard; but in July and 

 August they have appeared in multitudes of the length of 

 two inches or a little above it, and are preyed on by many 

 kinds of fishes, which pursue them in all directions along 

 the surface, and before which they fly as a flock of sheep 

 before dogs: but a mass of floating sea-weeds affords them a 

 welcome refuge from their persecutors. 



I have not heard of an instance where this fish has been 

 caught with a hook, which may be because its mouth is too 

 small for such as are usually employed at sea; for there is no 

 reason to suppose that it is less ready to seize its prey than 

 others of its race. But the usual manner of fishing for them 

 is with an enormous bag-net, made with small meshes, which 

 according to law must not be less than half an inch in 

 measure from knot to knot; and this net, called a stow-net, 

 is forbidden to be used at any time between the 10th. day 

 of November and the 10th. of February; but ground-seans 

 for Sprats are legal between the 1st. of November and the 

 1st. of April. The mouth of the stow-net is kept open 

 against the course of the tide by a couple of beams, one 

 above the other, at the height of about six fathoms; and they 

 thus remain suspended from a boat in such a manner that as 

 the fish are carried along with the tide they are driven into 

 a gulf from which there is no return. A few of larger 

 size and of the better quality are sometimes caught in drift- 

 nets; and the quantity altogether thus taken is enormous, — 

 thus affording a cheap and esteemed food in many places on 

 the coast, and especially, although not solely, to the poorer 

 classes of the British Metropolis, for they come to the table 

 even of the rich. 



But it is not always for food that the fishery is conducted 

 for Sprats, for we believe they are not prepared for exportation; 



