272 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



fifth " spring herring." There is no essential difference 

 between these varieties, except the size and the greater 

 or less development of the sexual organs. There are also 

 some other classifications, as boundary herring, winter 

 herring and fall herring. 



Sprats are partly sold fresh and partly pickled or 

 spiced, while some are prepared as "anchovies," and 

 sold under that name, although of course they are a 

 difierent kind of fish to the true anchovy. 



Capclhi. — In the month of June, each year, the shores 

 of Newfoundland are visited by enormous shoals of 

 capelin {MalMus arcticus) for the purpose of spawning. 

 The masses of them in the various bays and harbours are 

 so great that two men with a small landing-net will fill 

 a boat in a couple of hours. So little account is taken of 

 this delicious little fish that it is largely employed in 

 manuring the fields and gardens, as sprats often are in 

 England. 



The fiavour of it, when fresh, is delicious, and its size 

 is about that of the sardine. There is little doubt that, 

 if properly cured, the capelin might compete with either 

 sardines or anchovies, which are so profitable to the fisher- 

 men of the Mediterranean. If merely pickled and dried 

 it is worth more than a dollar per barrel. But no atten- 

 tion is paid to this little fish, the supply of which seems 

 inexhaustible. It is principally used by the fishermen 

 as bait for the cod. About 100 barrels of capelin, salted 

 and dried, are sent to England. 



In Switzerland the imports of fish amount to about 

 45,000 lbs. annually, chiefly fresh fish. 



It is an incontestable fact that although since 1830 

 prices have at least doubled, the sale of sea-fish has 

 grown enormously in Belgium. Fish always abounds in 

 the markets of Ostend, and the supply reaches 2,000 tons 

 yearly. The annual proceeds of the sale of fish at the 

 Ostend market averages about £140,000. 



The fishery products on the coast of Spain for the 

 year 1882 were estimated at about 8,000 tons weight ; 

 half of the .catch was salted and preserved ; about fifty- 



