32 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
mouth. During the following week, and on to early December, 
huge hauls were made, and on more than one occasion the 
wharf was practically ‘‘ choked”’ with Mackerel. 
I do not know whether I am correct, but I have an opinion 
that we have two races of Mackerel visiting the coast in the late 
autumn, one of them being a shortish and more compact fish, 
approaching in build to the Bonitos. lis colourings are the 
same as the typical Mackerel. I noticed these from time to 
time washed up on certain tides, and surmised that from their 
more triangular head, broader at the base, they were more 
prone to fall from the meshes of the nets. I give this opinion 
for what it is worth, and intend next year to make measure- 
ments and other observations. 
PILCHARDS LANDED.—On Dec. 12th the steam drifter ‘ Bono,’ 
which had gone south and been fishing in the Channel, brought 
in twenty-four crans of ‘‘ bloater stuff’; she also landed between 
six and seven crans of Pilchards, which sold for 22s. 6d. a eran. 
Prior to that catch she had shot seventy-seven nets for seven 
hours, the result of the haul being a solitary Pilchard. The 
arrival of the Pilchards made some excitement on the wharf, 
this species coming but rarely nowadays into the Herring area, 
whereas in years gone by it was by no means uncommonly 
caught. The Pagets, in their ‘ Sketch of the Natural History of 
Yarmouth’ (1834), wrote :—‘‘ Some few generally taken every 
year in the Herring-nets ; in some years they have been abun- 
dant, as in 1780 and 1790, and in 1799, when so many were 
taken, that one ‘tower’ [a hand on board the boat] received 
upwards of a last as his perquisite.’ Sir Thomas Browne 
remarked that, ‘“‘ though the sea aboundeth not with Pilchards, 
yet they are comonly taken among Herrings, but few esteeme 
thereof or eat them.” 
I did not ascertain to what destination or process the Pil- 
chards above referred to were assigned ; theyare so tender and oily 
that they make indifferent ‘‘smokers,”’ the head and body having 
a tendency to separate when on a “spit” curing. Nevertheless, 
T was given one which had been with others slightly smoked as 
a novelty. I found it very fat but palatable, with a suggestion of 
piquancy that is not noticed in a Herring. I should say that for 
the purposes of preserving in olive oil it is better adapted. 
