274 CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



in, and the tide is low, they proceed to empty the nets. 

 The fish soon become so exceedingly agitated, and so 

 great is the accumulated force of their numbers, that, if 

 it has been a full haul, the utmost caution is necessary 

 lest the nets should burst or sink. . When brought to the 

 surface, the voices of the men are lost in the noise made 

 by the fish in struggling to escape, and in dashing the 

 water. They are taken out in buckets (or flaskets), and 

 only in sufficient quantities to load the boats : the rest 

 of the fish are left in the net until the first are salted ; 

 another cargo is then taken out : and thus a week may 

 possibly elapse before the whole of the capture is se- 

 cured ; part being taken out every night. Nearly the 

 whole of the pilchards thus procured and salted are ex- 

 ported to catholic countries, but chiefly to those of the 

 Mediterranean, where we have often eaten them. The 

 numerous fasts of the Rcmish church cause an immense 

 consumption of fish, both fresh and salted, all the year 

 round. This appears still more striking, when it is re- 

 membered that, besides the extensive fisheries of the 

 Sardi (a small species of Clupea) and of the tunny, 

 which the Italians themselves carry on, and pickle, they 

 require immense quantities of stock-fish or cod from 

 Newfoundland ; and all these independently of the pil- 

 chards of Cornwall, the greater part of which are sent 

 to them. The quantities of these are so immense, that, 

 to prevent our being suspected of exaggeration, we shall 

 cite Mr. Couch's own words. " The quantity of pil- 

 chards taken is sometimes incrediblv large. A fisher- 

 man, now alive, was once present at the taking of 2200 

 hogsheads of pilchards in one sein ; but the greatest 

 number heard of, as taken at one time, is stated by Bor- 

 lace at 3000 hogsheads. Each was formerly calculated 

 as containing 3500 ; it was then changed to 3000, and 

 is now 2500 fine fish ,• but it is scarcely necessary tc 

 say they are not counted.* An instance has been known. 



* " In reference to this anecdote, Pennant has made an astounding error 

 in reckoning, by mistake, 35,060 fish to a hogshead, instead of 3500. Th< 

 hogsheads, probably, are made of such a uniform size, as to contain thi; 

 exact number; — few more or less."— Yarrell. 



