Eatable British Fish 



139 



Nevertheless, at present, the list of what have been called 

 u marketable marine fish" is a large one ; may it ever remain 

 so. To attempt, within the limits of a short sketch, to give 

 anything like a complete survey of all the marine fishes which 

 are edible, or even of those which are prized as food, would 

 be impossible. But a few facts concerning the more valuable 

 should be welcome. Let us briefly trace, then, the life-history 

 of the Herring, and its kind, the Cod tribe, and the " flat 

 fishes," since these even in their youngest stages are to be 

 met with by those who will take the trouble to look for them 

 during the summer sojourn at the seaside. 



Probably few of my readers know that there are several 

 distinct races of Herrings, whose habits differ markedly one 

 from another, not only in their choice of food but also in the 

 period at which they lay their eggs and the places where they 

 lay them. Thus the herrings of the East and West Coasts 

 of Scotland are known as " Winter herring," and they approach 

 the coast during the winter months for the purpose of spawning, 

 the fish laying their eggs on stones and gravel at the bottom 

 of the sea, the eggs adhering to the ground by reason of the 

 fact that they are enveloped in a sticky outer coat. Each 

 fish lays between 20,000 and 50,000 eggs, the higher number 

 being laid by the older fish. " Summer" herrings are more 

 plentiful, and give rise to more abundant fishing. But no 

 less than sixteen races of herrings are distinguished by ex- 

 perts, some of these spawning far out at sea, in deep water, 

 and others near the shore, or at the mouths of rivers where 

 the water is brackish. When the young fry have begun to 

 grow they form the principal food of a host of enemies, in- 

 cluding man himself, who regards them, under the name 

 of " White bait," as an especially choice delicacy. Young 

 sprats, by the way, make up no inconsiderable proportion of 

 these "White bait." 



The Cornish Pilchard fishery will doubtless be watched 

 by many interested in the harvest of the sea, during their 

 summer holidays, but it may not generally be known that 



