THE SPRAT THE SHAD. 



449 



stationed in ten fathoms water, and clear of all breakers. Light sail 

 boats keep out at a little distance before them, to give notice to the 

 fishermen of the approach of a shoal. Persons are also frequently 

 stationed on the neighboring rocks, to watch the course of the fish 

 these are called huers, from their setting up a hue to the fishermen. 



The nets, which are seines, are sometimes two hundred fathoms 01 

 more in circumference, and about eighteen fathoms deep. Some of 

 them are said to be capable of holding upwards of two hundred hogs- 

 heads of fish, each containing about three thousand. About thirty 

 thousand hogsheads are here considered a tolerably good produce for 

 one season. But it happens, now and then, that the fishery almost 

 entirely fails. 



The Dog-fish are great enemies to the Pilchards, often devouring 

 them in amazing numbers. 



THE SPRAT. 



Sprats are caught on the coasts of the Mediterranean, in suck 

 immense shoals, that at 

 a single haul of a large 

 net, as many have 

 sometimes been landed 

 as would have filled 

 between forty and fifty 

 barrels. From the cir- 

 cumstance of these fish 

 being caught near the island of Sardinia in great abundance, and 

 being exported from that island, in barrels, to various parts of the 

 world, they have obtained, in several countries, the name of Sardine 

 Sprats are likewise found in the North Sea and the Baltic. 



They usually frequent the deep parts of the sea ; but in the autumn 

 they approach the smooth and sandy shores, for the purpose of de- 

 ft' siting there thei" spawn. 



THE SHAD. 



Sliads appear in the river Rhine in the month of March ; in the 



Severn and Thames, and Dela- 

 ware, in April, May, and T une ; 

 and in the Nile in December 

 and January. As soon as 

 they arrive, they deposit their 

 spawn in ph^es where the 

 current is most rapid; and, 

 some months afterwards, return 

 to the sea. 



They ascend the Ehine as far as Basil, where they are caught in nets, 

 and osier baskets or traps. In order to attract them into the latter, the 

 fishermen use a bait of peas, prepared in a certain way with myrrh : 

 this bait is put into a small bag, and suspended in the inside. 



