so PERIODIOAL VISITS OF THR HERUING. 



14. ASIA. 



Black Sea. — Herrings of about the eighth class visit 

 the Asiatic coasts of the Black Sea, and are caught in 

 considerable quantities from the middle of October to the 

 end of March. They are of superior quality, and slightly 

 differ from the herrings of the north in the teeth and 

 form of the head. 



Caspian Sea. — This sea is plentifully supplied witli 

 very fine herrings, and an extensive fishery is carried on 

 at Bakoe, on that coast ; and the quality is so highly 

 prized, that the herring is called by the Persians the 

 royal fish ; the fishery is generally most? abundant in July. 

 (Hon. G. Keppol's Persian Narrative, vol. ii. p. 204.) 



Okotsh. — In July and August shoals of herrings an- 

 nually appear in the G-ulf of Okotsk in Eussian Tartary. 



KamtscUatka. — On the east coast of Kamtschatka they 

 arrive in April, and remain till June and July. (Tuckey's 

 Maritime Geography, pp. 27G, 286.) 



Bay of Avatska. — They appear in great shoals in the 

 Bay of Avatska towards the latter end of April, and re- 

 main till the beginning of June. They seem to come in 

 shoals in both spring and autumn, there being a consider- 

 able difi'erence in the size, the spring fish being largest. 

 (Billing's Expedition to the No^iheni Regions, pp. 75, 89, 

 298, 299.) 



Kovema.—ln lat. 69° 28', long. 168° 28', in the Icy 

 Sea, 300 herrings were caught by the seine on the 16th 

 July ; the water was fresh enough to dress victuals. They 

 ascend the Kovema in great shoals in September ; they 

 are split and dried by the natives. 



