Cine) Rl OE Re ORT NG! 289 
is void of teeth: the gill covers are very loofe, and 
open very wide ; which occafions the almoft inftant 
death of the herring when taken out of the water, 
which is well known, evento a proverb. 
The dorfal fin confifts of about feventeen rays, 
and is placed beyond the centre of gravity, fo that 
when the fifh is fufpended by it, the headimmediately 
dips down: the two ventral fins have nine rays ; the 
pectoral feventeen ; the anal fourteen: the tail is 
much forked. : 
The lateral line is not apparent, unlefs the {cales 
are taken off: the fides are compreffed: the belly 
fharply carinated, but the ridge quite fmooth, and 
not in the left ferrated. 
The fcales are large, thin, and fall off with a flight 
touch. 
The color of the back and fides green, varied 
with blue: the belly filvery, 
The herring fifhery is of great antiquity: the in- 
duftrious Dutch firft engaged in it about the year 
1164: they were in poffeffion of it for feveral cen- 
turies, but at length its value become fojuftly to be 
known, that it gave rife to moft obftinate and well- 
difputed wars between the Englifh and them; but 
ftill their diligence and fkill gives them a fuperiority 
over us in that branch of trade. 
Our great ftations-are off the Shetland and WH eftern 
Tfles, and off the coaft of Norfolk, in which the 
Dutch allo fhare. Yarmouth has lone been famous 
for its herring fair*; that town is obliged, by its 
* This fair was regulated by an aét, commonly called the Sras 
date of Herrings, in the 31ft year of Edward III. 
charier 
Colors 
Fithery. 
