THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING. 11 



structed, they were required, and, in truth, are not so 

 capacious nor so numerous as are required for such an 

 extensive fishery. But tlie fact that the herrings cured 

 in Scotland have increased from 35,000 barrels to 500,000 

 barrels annually, and upwards, gives a direct negative to 

 the statement that " the fishery remains in a very feeble 

 and unhealthy state." 



The author then quotes a paragraph from an obscure 

 paper, the " Quarterly Journal," to the effect that the 

 fishing bounties had called forth a number of landsmen 

 to fish and cure herrings who only prosecuted the fishery 

 from June to September. They certainly could not fish 

 herrings but at the season when they could be procured. 

 But this assertion is erroneous when applied to the inha- 

 bitants of fishing villages, whose profits arising from the 

 herring fishery enable them to prosecute with success 

 the other fisheries ; in short, to ply their calling with 

 success the whole year through. 



As to the expenditure of the public money on bounties 

 and premiums, it may be seen that the public money 

 hitherto expended has been of a comparatively small 

 amount. It was to enable our own busses to compete 

 with the foreign busses on equal terms ; for the bounties 

 given were not equivalent to the enormous custom duties 

 paid to Government on the raw materials required in the 

 construction and equipment of the busses, and for nets 

 and other requisites ; and even these bounties were irre- 

 gularly paid, and at one time altogether withheld, to the 

 ruin of many of the Scottish merchants. In truth, the 

 herring fishery has become prosperous in spite of every 

 obstacle thrown in its way by the erroneous Government 

 exactions and prohibitions, and its progress under so 

 many difficulties is much owing, as already remarked, to 



