48 The Shipper. 



near it are sufficient to give an impulse which insures what 

 follows. 



To witness these actions in perfection, the observer on land 

 would do well to be possessed of a good glass of the binocular 

 kind, and to station himself, at no great height, on some pro- 

 jecting portion of the western coast of the kingdom, in the 

 summer or autumn. But there must also be called into action 

 not only some degree of good fortune, but no slight stock of 

 that commendable virtue patience, for this is not an exhibition 

 that can be got up at our own pleasure ; and even when it does 

 occur, the gratification may receive some alloy in the reflection 

 that, however agreeable to the observer, it is death to some of 

 the performers. 



This fish comes to our coast at about the end of May, and 

 retires towards the close of autumn ; and it usually swims at a 

 slight depth from the surface, so that when nets are employed 

 within a fathom or two of that range, many are caught, but 

 when deeper they do not become entangled. 



It is the opinion of fishermen that there exists some anti- 

 pathy between this fish and some others of the gregarious 

 sorts ; in proof of which they allege that when the skippers 

 have entered a bay in which there are what are technically 

 called schools of pilchards — as they sometimes do in large 

 multitudes — in a short time the pilchards leave the district : a 

 circumstance which excites their notice, as being attended with 

 a disappointment of their hopes. 



The skipper has not been known to take the hook, which is 

 to be ascribed perhaps to the form of its mouth, as well as to 

 the want of an appropriate bait, rather than to indifference for 

 food ; which, on examination of the stomach, appears to consist 

 of a great variety of materials. Sometimes, perhaps most fre- 

 quently, it is formed of entomostraca, or those very small crus- 

 taceous animals which exist in myriads in the sea at almost all 

 seasons. But I have also found pieces of red sea-weeds, and 

 square pieces of the marine vegetable Zostera marina, with small 

 stones ; and as the zostera is not known to grow anywhere but 

 in harbours where fresh water mingles with the salt, it is clear 

 that such situations must sometimes be visited by these fishes. 

 And that they do so is further shown by the fact, that in one 

 instance an example of the fish was brought to me for examina- 

 tion that had been taken in a net, a few miles up a river, where 

 it is only on rare occasions that the tide has been known to 

 come. 



The structure of the upper jaw is well fitted to retain any 

 small but perhaps active prey it may chance to lay hold of, pre- 

 paratory to its being swallowed ; an operation which we may 

 suppose not to be accomplished in an instant. On close ex- 



