PEKIODICAL VISITS OF THE HERRING. 63 



side of Man are much superior to those taken at the 

 eastern or Douglas fishery ; the first resembles the Loch 

 Fjne herrings, but of the latter a considerable part con- 

 sists of spawned fish. 



East Coast — Cape Wrath. — Eeturning to the east 

 coast of Scotland, as before proposed, we find herrings 

 appear there very regularly, and generally in considerable 

 quantities. They are caught from June till August and 

 September in the sea embracing the Moray Firth from 

 Cape Wrath to Inverness, including the east coasts of 

 Sutherlandshire, Caithness-shire, and Eoss-shire. 



Wich. — Although at the beginning of the season an 

 inferior size of herring similar to those caught at Thurso 

 is obtained off this coast, yet the herrings generally caught 

 are of good size and excellent quality — being about the 

 seventh to the eighth class. This extensive fishery begins 

 about tlie middle of July and ends in September. 



Helmsdale, &g. — Farther along the Caithness coast, and 

 in tlie neighbourhood of Helmsdale, the herrings average 

 about the sixth or seventh class ; at Lossiemouth they 

 are generally similar to those caught at Wick ; but at 

 the upper end of the Moray Firth they have frequently 

 been found of a very small size, not exceeding the tenth 

 or twelfth class. 



Banff, (&c. — From Inverness, along the south side of the 

 Moray Firth, including Morayshire, Banffshire, and part 

 of Aberdeenshire, herrings are caught about the same 

 time as on the north side ; the quality is also similar to 

 those caught at Wick, and they are also of a good medium 

 size. They appear upon the coast in June, but are at first 

 so small that the nets cannot catch them, but they begin 

 to be of a sufficient size in July, and in August they are 

 full-sized, and come nearer the shore. 



