Fhhes. 4717 



the spawning or recently spawned state, exercises a striking influence 

 on the quality of certain fishes as food for man. 



In August some fine herrings were examined in Glasgow (west 

 coast of Scotland) ; the food appeared to be the ova of some testaceous 

 animal, as the shrimp, but after all, was probably merely Ento- 

 mostraca, exceedingly minute : nevertheless, a few even of these her- 

 rings had been eating the sand-eel. On this coast also, as the herrings 

 get out of order, they take to other food and become insipid and 

 worthless. These observations were repeated on September *27th and 

 October 13th, l v 34, at Anstruther, in Fife, and close to the mouth of 

 the Frith of Forth. Of fifteen herrings taken on July 6th, 1838, 

 of three different sizes, the stomachs were filled with Entomostraca: 

 the first were in good order as food. But in winter, in friths, they do 

 not seem to feed- as on February 6th, 1836, of many fresh herrings 

 caught in the Frith of Forth, the stomachs and intestines were found 

 to be empty. 



Of fifty herrings examined on the 13th of February. 1S36, caught 

 in the Frith of Forth, forty- two had the stomachs and intestines 

 empty ; four had been feeding on the ova of small fishes, and four 

 on a peculiar red substance : in twenty-two others nothing was 

 found. Thus, when caught in bays and friths, the stomach is 

 often quite empty ; like the salmon, they are then off their feeding- 

 ground, which is the deep sea. The sexes are usually in equal 

 numbers. On the 30th of November, 1834, my brother remarks, in his 

 journal, that it has been invariably in herrings caught off the Isle of 

 May that he has found the Entomostraca : further up the frith, their 

 stomachs are very generally empty. The Isle of May is close to the 

 German Ocean. On the 4th of December, some herrings taken even 

 now are good ; and this, my brother remarks., is invariably the case 

 with the first taken — even in winter. 



Continuing the examination of these original journals, I ficd the 

 following entries : — 



"July 6, 1838. Fifteen herrings, taken off Anstruther and dis- 

 sected, gave the following results ; the date of capture as above. 



Largest size. — From SDOut to centre of tail . . . 10| inches. 



Length to dorsal fin 5£ „ 



„ to extreme margin of gills . . 2£ ,, 



Greatest depth 2| 



Weight S oz. 



XIII. *2 B 



