l60 COMMON HERRING. 



useful expedient, and from him, according to Mr. 

 Pennant, is derived the word pickle y which we have 

 borrowed from the Dutch and Germans. Beukelin 

 died in the year 1397. The Emperor Charles the 

 fifth is said to have held his memory in such venera- 

 tion for the service he had done mankind, as ta 

 have paid a solemn visit to his tomb in honour of 

 so distinguished a citizen. " The Dutch (says Mr. 

 Pennant) are most extravagantly fond of this fish 

 when pickled ; a premium is given to the first vessel 

 that arrives in Holland laden with this their am- 

 brosia : we have been in the country at that happy 

 minute, and have observed as much joy among the 

 inhabitants on its arrival as the Egyptians shew at 

 the first overflowing of the Nile.** 



Mr. Pennant, in his British Zoology, has so well 

 detailed the general history of the Herring, and its 

 supposed migrations, that it is impossible to do 

 better than to repeat his own words. 



The great winter rendezvous of the Herring is 

 within the Arctic circle : there they continue many 

 months in order to recruit themselves after the 

 fatigue of spawning, the seas within that space 

 swarming with insect food in a far greater degree 

 than in our warmer latitudes. 



" This mighty army begins to put itself in motion 

 in the spring: we distinguish this vast body by 

 that name, for the word Herring is derived from 

 the German, Heer, an army, to express their 

 numbers. 



They begin to appear ofi* the Shetland isles in 

 April and May : these are only forerunners of the 



