1710 Fishes. 



Looe, Polperro, and Cawsand, in Plymouth Sound, the quantities 

 taken were greater than before, showing an eastern movement. From 

 the 1st to the 8th of September, the fish came nearer the shore, and 

 were taken in large numbers at Polperro and Looe, equalling 30,000 

 per boat, every night. At this time, while the summer fish were on 

 the south-western shores of the county, the winter fish were observed 

 on the north-eastern shores, at New Quay, about three or four miles 

 from land. On the 13th, the northern fish were seen from the hills 

 near St. Agnes ; and on the 15th and 16th, off St. Ives, but the shoals 

 were small and distant : large catches were still made on the south- 

 eastern shores. From the 16th to the 19th, south-eastern fishery still 

 successful ; the north-eastern shoals off St. Ives in deep water. For 

 a week after this, all the fisheries failed, but the shoals were observed 

 to be congregating on the north-eastern shores; and on the 27th, heva 

 was sounded at St. Ives. The Bay was full of fish from one side to 

 the other, and 30,000 hogsheads were quickly enclosed. From this 

 point they go further west, sometimes beyond the Scilly Islands, and 

 at others between the Islands and the Land's-End. In some seasons, 

 after thus passing south, they take an easterly turn along the south 

 coasts to Mevagissey Bay, where they generally arrive about the mid- 

 dle of November. But in every case in which they have gone so far 

 to the east, they have been followed by large Cetacea, generally 

 Delphinus delphis, several of which have from time to time been 

 taken. This year the winter fish arrived at St. Ives several weeks 

 earlier than usual. Mr. Boletho made a very interesting observation 

 to me, a short time since, in reference to the movements of the 

 pilchard and the herring, which, if it always proves correct, will be 

 worthy of further investigation : he stated, that the herring fishermen 

 of Yarmouth were always desirous of carefully ascertaining the time 

 when the pilchard arrived at St. Ives, for that the arrival of the pil- 

 chard at St. Ives coincided to a day with the arrival of the herrings at 

 Yarmouth ; whether the season was early or late, they were early and 

 late together ; and if the pilchard at St. Ives arrived without the her- 

 ring at Yarmouth, the fishery proved a failure for the season. 



The pilchard frequently arrives close to the shore before they are 

 discovered; in such a case the drift-nets serve as an index to the 

 seine fishermen. The experienced eye of the huer, or watcher for 

 the fish, can, however, frequently detect their presence when all others 

 would fail. On one occasion, a huer at St. Ives raised the cry of 

 * heva,' when no one else could see the least indication of their pre- 

 sence. The seine, however, was shot according to his direction, in a 



