The Scientific and Economic Aspects 

 of the Cornish Pilchard Fishery. 



I.— The Food and Feeding Habits of the Pilchard in Coastal Waters. 



Bv Harold Swithinbank, f.r.s.e., and G. E. Bullen. 



The researches here described are founded upon two 

 distinct series of observations. 



The first were obtained at intermittent periods during the 

 years 1905-07, and embraced enquiry into the food problem of 

 herring, mackerel, and pilchard, frequenting the western part of 

 the English Channel. To these are added the results obtained 

 from a collection of stomach material made by fishermen in 

 Mount's Bay in 1906, and a similar series from Mevagissey 

 Bay supplied by Mr. Howard Dunn in 1907. 



The second group of observations were obtained in 19 13 

 during a planktonic and hydrographical survey of the principal 

 stations affected by pilchard on the Cornish seaboard, per- 

 formed from the s.s. Mera R.Y.S. 



In view of the fact that no exact determination of the nature 

 of the food of pilchards in English waters has ever been pub- 

 lished, the following paper is put forward as a preliminary 

 step toward a deeper (Y)nsiderati()n of the food supply in rela- 

 tion to migration. 



The authors' thanks are due to the Marine Biological 

 Association of the United Kingdom, under the auspices of 

 which the first series of observations were obtained ; also to 

 Mr. Howard Dunn of Mevagissey and Mr. Matthias Dunn 

 of Newlyn, for material and observations supplied. 



On the French, Portuguese and Mediterranean seaboard, 

 the food and habits of the sardine, or pilchard, in its earlv and 



B 



