ENEMIES OF THE HERRING. 35 



northern shores of Asia, and probably America. It is 

 never met with in the German Ocean, and rarely within 

 200 leagues of the British coasts. 



But in contradistinction to the common whale is the 

 Balcena musculus of Linnseus, or Balcenoptera rorqual of 

 Lacepede, which the same author says frequents the 

 coasts of Scotland, Iceland, Norway, &c., and is known 

 to feed principally on herrings, thus proving that one of 

 the most destructive enemies of the herring is an in- 

 habitant of those coasts where the latter most commonly 

 resorts. When in Norway making inquiries as to the 

 natural history of the herring, I was assured by the Nor- 

 wegians who engage in the herring fishery off the coast of 

 that kingdom, that it is constantly seen where the herrings 

 are generally fished, and is a good indicator of the best 

 locality ; and that the scene is quite lively with the great 

 numbers of whales and aquatic birds which constantly 

 attend any large shoal of herrings on that coast. 



The Balcena rostrata, or beaked whale, also frequents 

 the Norwegian and adjacent seas, and is said to feed on 

 herrings and other fish. 



We are told by a Dutch author, that out of the stomach 

 of a whale styled by him " Noortkaper," or North Caper, 

 more than a barrel of herrings was taken ; this whale had 

 been stranded or captured at Shetland. " Van een ge- 

 strandene of gevangen Noortkaper omtrent Hetland, ver- 

 tuald Frederick Martens in ziyn Greenland's Journal van 

 den Jaare 1671, dat er meer dan en geheele ton baring 

 in ziyn Maag gevonden wierd." (C. G. Zorgdrager's 

 Bloeyende opJcomst der Aloude en Hedendagsclie Groen- 

 landsche Vischery 1727, p. 118.) 



Of the seal tribe there are various kinds which un- 

 questionably prey upon the herring. 



c 2 



