AN ANNOTATED LIST OF CORNISH FISHES. 19 
and irregular to justify the expense involved in equipping the 
boats with the small-meshed nets necessary for its capture. 
The Herring (Clupea harengus, L.) in Cornwall practically 
reaches the southern limit of its distribution. Till lately, though 
large quantities were taken off the Cornish coast in autumn and 
winter, it was not of sufficient importance to maintain a separate 
fishery. About twenty-five years ago it appeared in increasing 
numbers around St. Ives, and, as the seine fishery for Pilchards 
died out there a Herring fishery was gradually developed in its 
place. During the last few years the average annual export of 
Herrings from St. Ives has been about two thousand tons. Port 
Isaac, and to a smaller extent Newquay, are now also centres of 
regular Herring fisheries. On the south coast large quantities 
are brought in at Looe and Mevagissey, and recently the schools 
of Herring have been abundant and regular in their appearance 
from the Runnelstone to Porthleven. At present the best ground 
in the south is off St. Loy, both for the size and the frequency of 
the takes, but during the last three seasons the numbers in and 
about Mount’s Bay generally have been so great that the Newlyn 
men are looking forward hopefully to the establishment of a 
regular Herring fishery there. The movement of the Herring 
from deep water shorewards for spawning purposes and their 
migration along the coast are somewhat irregular, and greatly 
affected by the weather and other less recognisable influences. 
A storm drives them at once into deep water, where they remain 
till fine weather again tempts them inshore; but even with little 
or no change in the surface of the sea they may be found some 
distance out one day and close in on the rocks the next. In some 
seasons the fish at particular localities spend much more time 
inshore than usual, or else hug the shore much more closely in 
passing. At Sennen, near Land’s End, for instance, the Herring 
generally pass some distance out at sea, but during the winters 
of 1905-6 and 1906-7 large schools were frequently seen within 
a quarter of a mile of the breakers, but unfortunately the fisher- 
men there do not possess sufficient equipment to enable them to 
make full use of such opportunities. 
There is no spring Herring fishery in Cornwall, but large — 
specimens are taken in the Mackerel-nets in May and June out 
in the Channel and N.N.W. of St. Ives, and in June, July, and 
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