OCCASIONAL NOTES. 339 
any other kind of fishing during the hunting season. The sea-hogs are 
during this period found proceeding in large shoals backwards and forwards 
between the East Sea and the Cattegat Straits. The fishermen must 
manage to drive these shoals into the so-called Gamborgfjord south of 
Middelfart. The hunt is rather troublesome, and is carried on by twelve 
boats, each containing three fishermen. ‘The boats, upon the signal being 
given of a shoal of porpoises being in sight, move a little further out into 
the sea and then return, driving the whole herd into the little bay, each 
man vigorously lashing the water with a hazel-rod or a beech-branch, some 
10 ft. to 12 ft.in length. The boats then draw gradually closer to the shore, 
and as soon as the porpoises have been driven into the Gamborgfjord, 
spread out the largest net—made of common twine, 120 fathoms in length, 
and with a width of 120 three-inch square meshes—fastened by one end to 
the shore, the other held by the furthermost boat. The net, kept extended 
in the middle so as to form a half-circle, is then slowly drawn shorewards. 
A smaller net, of 60 fathoms length, made of double twisted hemp-lines, is 
next spread out after the porpoises have entered the shallow water. The 
shoal being thus caught and too frightened to make any attempt to escape, 
the fishermen jump from their boats into the shallow water and drag the 
inner net to the shore, when the killing commences. The men take hold 
of the porpoises one by one by their broad tail-fins, land, and stab them in 
the neck with a long-bladed knife, the same as when killing a young pig. 
Very little grunting is heard, the “ swine-fish” not making any resistance. 
Several shoals are sometimes thus caught in one day. Full-grown species 
weigh from 50 to 60 lbs., producing 30 lbs. to 35 lbs. fat or lard and 12 quarts 
of train oil, the refuse making an excellent manure. The sea-hogs, keeping 
close to the shores when moving, are known to be afraid of a clear gravelly 
bottom, and prefer turbid water, which makes the Gamborfjord the most 
suitable spot for this kind of fishing, the bay of the Fjord being narrow, 
_with a bottom of a darkish colour, and everywhere covered with sea-weed, 
the favourite food of the sea-hogs. These facts account sufficiently for the 
Middelfart Porpoise Hunting Guild having been enabled to prosecute this 
pursuit so successfully during so many centuries. 
Curious Nesting Freak or tae Common Buzzarp.—lIn the beginning 
of May I was paying a short visit to a friend at Dulverton, our special 
purpose being to look for nests of the Wood Wren, which is more common 
there than in any other part of Somerset. We were not, however, very 
successful; but in the course of our search wy friend pointed out a nest of 
the Common Buzzard, which we had seen last year, and from which he and 
his sons had then taken three eggs. There was also another nest close by, 
