46 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



during which time the fish settle down considerably. 

 Additional fish are then put in, until the barrels are quite 

 full. After being examined and approved by an officer of 

 the Fishery Board, the barrels receive the official brand, 

 which is accepted in the market as a guarantee that the 

 fish are of a certain standard of quality. A large number 

 of coopers and labourers are engaged in preparing and 

 heading up the barrels, and removing them from one place 

 to another." 



At almost all the stations in Scotland the disposition of 

 the fishermen for some years past has been to substitute 

 first-class boats for the second class, and even to employ 

 first-class boats at the line or white fishery, where boats of 

 the second class were formerly used. 



An enterprising curer at Wick has lately made trial of 

 sending carrier pigeons to sea with boats which fish at a 

 large offing. The pigeons were the means of supplying 

 intelligence of the results of the night's fishing before the 

 boats arrived, so that preparations could be made ac- 

 cordingly, and they also conveyed instruction when a 

 steam-tug or other assistance was required. Another ex- 

 periment made with success at Wick was the employment 

 of a traction engine to haul up the boats for the winter, 

 instead of gangs of men, and the work was found to be 

 done cheaper. 



The take of herrings in the Scotch fisheries has been 

 on the whole large in the past ten years : — 



