520 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND * 



taken large quantities of Herring, which fetched 4s. 6d. per 

 100. In the following September the price fell to 1 shilling per 

 100. As recently as 1891 some huge catches of Herring were 

 made by the Maryport fishermen. The early carts from the 

 country purchased fish at from Is. 6d. to Is. 9d. per 124, but 

 later on the price dropped to the unprecedented figure of 3d. 

 to 6d. per 124. Many tons were despatched to Glasgow, Leeds, 

 and other large centres of population ; but, after all sacrifices 

 had been made, the fishermen found it impossible to clear out 

 the whole of their stock. 1 Dr. Welby I'Anson informs me that 

 in some years Herrings have visited the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of Whitehaven in such numbers, that stake nets were 

 temporarily erected on the shores to effect their capture. 



SPRAT. 



Clupea sprattus, L. 

 The Sprat is often very abundant in our waters. In the 

 winter and spring months the Sprat is the favourite food of the 

 Red-throated Diver, which subsists principally on Sprats as long 

 as it haunts our seas. 



ALLIS SHAD. 



Clupea alosa, L. 

 Dr. Heysham was acquainted with this species as a visitor to 

 the English Solway. He remarks that Clupea alosa 'is by much 

 the largest species of this genus, sometimes weighing 7 or 8 lbs. ; 

 but what I have seen have not exceeded 4 lbs. May 28 [1796], 

 I saw one in the market which weighed 4 lbs. It was taken in 

 the Eden near Cargo, and the milt was very large.' The 

 younger Heysham wrote to the late Mr. Gurney on June 4, 

 1840 : 'I have within the last fortnight received two specimens 

 of the Alice Shad, both taken in the river Eden, both males, 

 and full of milt, and about 22 inches in length.' A few speci- 

 mens of this Shad have been taken in the waters of the English 

 Solway of late years, but the species is relatively scarce and 

 sparsely represented. Its visits have hitherto been limited to 

 the spring and summer months. 



1 See Carlisle Journal, July 7, 1891. 



