THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 883.— January 15th, 1915. 



SOME FISH-NOTES FROM GREAT YARMOUTH AND 

 NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR 1914. 



By Arthur H. Patterson. 



(Associate of the Marine Biological Association of Great Britain.) 



Just after my "Notes " for 1913 were sent to the • Zoologist ' 

 I received a communication from Mr. E. R. Cooper, of South- 

 wold, dated December 13th, in which he stated : — " This has 

 been a record week in the history of spratting ; during the seven 

 days, including to-day, there have been landed in the harbour 

 2400 bushels, and probably during the same period 5000 bushels 

 have been landed on the beach.* The price has also kept up 

 well, from 3s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per bushel ; and considerable 

 quantities are being pickled for export.! . . . The fish have 

 been quite close to the shore, and it has been a sight to see the 

 thousands of Gulls taking the Sprats as they come to the surface 

 along the line of nets. The last two seasons there have been 

 landed at harbour: 1911, 680 bushels; 1912, 1326 bushels." 



I am afraid the time-honoured (?) practice of selling Sprats 

 for manure still obtains ; a great pity to practically waste so 

 much nutritious food when other manures, both artificial and 

 natural, are obtainable. I see no reason why British manu- 

 facturers should not utilize on a more considerable scale these 



:;: Mr. Cooper, in a footnote, adds, "The fish landed on the beach are 

 not tabulated." 



f I believe German fish-buyers purchased great quantities for " tinning 

 down." 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. XIX., January, 1915. b 



