332 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



trend of the fishing is northward — ever northward. Yarmouth 

 has lost its trawling industry ; I somehow fear that Lowestoft 

 will some day follow suit. How can they long compete against 

 the northern ports which send their ever-restless steam-fleets to 

 the Iceland waters and the far-away north White Sea ? 



It was with some degree of relief that I left the Trawl-market 

 for the quieter Herring hasin, into which only a few shrimpers 

 were sailing to sort over their catches of the morning.* These 

 consisted mainly of Sand Shrimps {Crangon vulgaris) of a goodly 

 size, among which were many small Jelly-fishes (Cydippe pileus), 

 and not a little red seaweed. I noticed they did not pick the 

 weed from the Shrimps, but shook out the crustaceans from the 

 weed ! I had armed myself with several packets of tobacco, and 

 was speedily on more than speaking terms with the shrimpers, 

 whose boats I boarded, and whose catches I overhauled. I was 

 not a little astonished to find but a half-dozen " Pink Shrimps " 

 {Pandalus annulicomis) — the iEsop's Prawn. 



"Pink 'uns," said one fisherman, "won't sell at Lowestoft; 

 they want brown 'uns ! " which is the reverse of Yarmouth. 

 They therefore fish on sandier bottom, avoiding the "rough" 

 {Sabellce) grounds. And whereas some of the Yarmouth catches 

 have been as high as twenty pecks for a tide, not one of these 

 boasted a catch of more than three pecks, and they seemed well 

 content at that. In one boat I saw several Soles ; the best of 

 these were purchased by a fishmonger. These men seem to 

 have regular buyers, and then dispose of the smaller fish 

 privately. 



I was not impressed by the variety of the " captures " taken 

 with the Shrimps. In one boat was a fine Sprat (Clupea sprattus). 

 Among other refuse I " noted " the Lesser Weever, Piked Dog- 

 fish, Skulpins, small Bibs, Whitings, and Herring-syle, not to 

 mention a number of Pipe-fishes (Syngnathus acus), Yellow 

 Gobies {Gobius auratus), very small Dabs, Soles, Spotted and 

 Thornback Kays, Flounders, Pogges, and a few Little Squids 

 (Loligo rondeletti) and a L. media. I saw a few Swimming 

 Crabs, and two beautiful examples of Portumnus variegatus. 



* A fortnight later (Aug. 30th) this basin was crowded with freshly 

 painted Herring-drifters, all high-busy getting nets and stores aboard for the 

 autumnal Herring fishing. 



