66 PERIODICAL VISITS OP THE HERRING. 



sively, herrings appeared in abundance, a good winter 

 fishing having existed opposite Balmerino and Wood- 

 haven ; but of late years the quantity cauglit there has 

 been very inconsiderable. They are similar in quality to 

 the Forth herrings. (Sibbald's History of Fife ; Note by 

 Ed. of new edition, p. 414). 



Off the Tay and Forth, a few miles distant from the 

 coast, the Dutch fishermen sometimes get considerable 

 quantities of excellent herrings in July and August ; these 

 are of medium size, or about the seventh class. This fishing 

 must have been very considerable, and known and followed 

 by the Scotch in 1710. Sir Kobert Sibbald says, " Grail 

 has eighty fishing-boats, which, for the most part, are em- 

 ployed in herring-fishing, which come upon the coasts 

 yearly about Lammas, at which season there come from 

 the coasts of Angus, Mearns, and Aberdeenshire, about 

 200 boats more, which the inhabitants of this town fur- 

 nish with nets and other materials for the herring-fishery." 

 {History of Fife, p. 346.) 



Frith of Forth. — While the entrance or lower part of 

 the Frith of Forth is visited by shoals of herrings every 

 winter, higher up it is also visited by other shoals of 

 herrings, but (if we should judge from the quantity 

 taken) in much greater abundance in some years than 

 others. 



Previous to 1793, the mouth of this Frith, between the 

 Island of May and the Fifeshire coast, was resorted to 

 by a great many fishermen, who caught considerable 

 quantities of lean and shotten fish in February and March, 

 which herrings are now supposed to have been those re- 

 turning from the higher part of the Frith after spawning. 

 It is remarkable that the visits of the herring higher up 

 the Forth were not known till 1793, the winter fishing 



