leach's herring. 119 



not very unreasonably, that the fish had changed their 

 ground, and that these were the western Herrings. Yet 

 it ought to have been plain that this was not the case, 

 as the eastern fish were entirely different in quality from 

 the western, and very inferior. At the same time, they 

 were in that condition as to spawning which proved that 

 they could not have been the same fish. The fact of their 

 being entirely different fish is now at least fully proved, 

 because on both shores the period of the fishery has been 

 the same." — Journal of the Royal Institution, No. 82, for 

 January 1824, p. 217. 



" A smaller but superior species of Herring is found oc- 

 casionally in Loch Eriboll ; but it is chiefly used for home 

 consumption." — Scotch Statistics, Durness. 



There are three species of Herrings said to visit the 

 Baltic, and three seasons of roe and spawning. The Strom- 

 ling, or small Spring Herring, spawns when the ice begins 

 to melt ; then a larger Summer Herring ; and lastly, towards 

 the middle of September, the Autumn Herring makes its 

 appearance, and deposits its spawn. 



The length of the head compared to that of the body 

 alone, without the head or caudal rays, is as one to three ; 

 the depth of the body greater than the length of the head, 

 and compared to the length of the head and body together 

 is as one to three and a half; it is therefore much deeper 

 in proportion to its length than our common Herring, and 

 has both the dorsal and abdominal lines much more con- 

 vex : the under jaw longer than the upper, and provided 

 with three or four prominent teeth just within the angle 

 formed by the symphysis ; the superior maxillary bones 

 have their edges slightly crenated : the eye is large, in 

 breadth full one-fourth of the length of the whole head ; 

 irides pale yellow : the dorsal fin is placed behind the centre 



