378 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



fishing was one of Yarmouth's most important industries. . . . 

 Suddenly the Mackerel left the neighbourhood, but in time they 

 appeared in abundance off Cornwall. . . . For the last two 

 seasons, however [the local boats which followed them to Cornish 

 waters], they have been anything but successful. Again the 

 centre of interest shifts. As unexpectedly as the dandies of the 

 British Seas left one of their old haunts, as unexpectedly have 

 they reappeared in their legions a few miles from Yarmouth. 

 Getting well among them, .... Saturday [May 19th] was a 

 record day. Upwards of forty boats arrived with good catches, 

 some having as many as a last [12,000 fish] .... Should it 

 transpire that the Mackerel have returned for good in anything 

 like their old numbers, it will be a great boon to Yarmouth and 

 Lowestoft." 



The references to caprice and unusual appearances and dis- 

 appearances call to mind a remarkable inshoreing of this species 

 in November, 1875, when the Harbour Master of Lowestoft wrote 

 Mr. T. Southwell that a large number had been taken at that 

 late season of the year. He remarked : — " The large quantity 

 landed at our market this autumn is a very unusual thing, as 

 they are only caught on this coast in May and June." 



A similar abundance was recorded by myself in ' The Zoolo- 

 gist,'* when immense shoals struck the Suffolk coast. On Nov. 

 12th a glut occurred at Lowestoft ; several boat owners hurriedly 

 changed their Herring-nets for Mackerel-nets. The drifter 

 * Nugget ' landed just four lasts, or nearly 50,000 fish. The 

 nets were so full that one-half could not be stowed in the net- 

 room ; " the remainder, still ' gilled,' lay in a huge heap piled 

 on the deck." In some cases nets " grounded" (sank) with the 

 weight of fish. 



There were formerly two other fisheries pursued from the 

 East Coast ports, known as the North Sea and the Iceland 

 Fisheries. These flourished more especially in the middle of the 

 seventeenth century. Swinden says that, in 1644, Yarmouth 

 sent 205 vessels, 182 going to the former, and 23 pursuing the 

 latter. These, however, being greatly harassed by foreign foes 

 and kingly rapacity — for the king made raids, or exacted heavy 

 tolls (the same thing !) upon the catches for provisioning his 



* Vide 4 Zoologist,' 1908, pp. 448-9. 



