1408 Fishes. 



caught by their companions, yet all seem anxious to get back and par- 

 take of the actual fishing. In this way the fishery is never interrupted. 

 The winter drives them high up the Channel where they remain in 

 deep water, rarely rising to the surface till the spring. As spring ad- 

 vances they pursue a directly contrary course to the one described 

 above, and again go westward, and our boats go eastward, while the 

 Brighton and other eastern boats come westwards till they fall in with 

 them. From this it would appear, that the distances they advance up 

 the Channel are different in different seasons ; for sometimes they are 

 taken abundantly off Brighton and Hastings, and at others only off 

 Plymouth, and the Devonshire and Cornish shores. If the fish of the 

 spring fishery be examined, it will be found that the roe is growing 

 fast. The fish of this season are smaller than those of autumn ; 

 sometimes the schulls are composed entirely of small fish, the young 

 of the preceding year, or of mixed fish, the old and young together. 

 The course is very irregular, sometimes they lie at the bottom in deep 

 water, and at others rise to the surface or approach the shore. But as 

 summer advances the roe becomes still further developed, and then 

 they approach the sandy bays for the purpose of spawning. At this 

 season they appear to be the most active, and present, from the shores, 

 very lively and picturesque scenes. In the spring and autumn fish- 

 ery, drift nets alone are used, but in the summer, when they approach 

 the shore, seines are also employed. The spawn are deposited about 

 June, July, and August, and in September and October they again re- 

 treat to the Atlantic and into the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel, 

 through the space between the Scilly Islands and the main land. 

 The spawn soon becomes developed into the young fish, which remain 

 in the bays through the winter, as is proved by the large quantities 

 frequently enclosed in the pilchard seines ; and on one or two occa- 

 sions, I have known these young fish mistaken and enclosed for pil- 

 chards. The mackerel is a fish of very rapid growth, for the young 

 of one season breeds the next. If the spawning occurs early, the 

 young retire with the old to deep water again to renew their migra- 

 tions. This may be taken as the result of the observations for the 

 last few years, though it does not accord with the experience of Mr. 

 Yarrell. It should be observed, however, that their movements are 

 liable to variations and occasional revolutions, though the fishermen 

 tell me, the changes have not been very great for many years. The 

 causes for these revolutions are at present involved in great obscurity, 

 and, as it is impossible to investigate all the circumstances connected 

 with them, they are not likely to be speedily elucidated. There are, 





