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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
individual herring spawns twice in the course of a single year. 
It is much more probable that the shoals of spring and 
autumn spawners are the produce of two distinct batches, 
and that the individuals of each series have reached the age 
of twelve months. There is much to lead us to believe 
that this period is all that is required by the herring in order 
to reach maturity. Hence, those hatched in autumn will 
spawn in autumn, and those hatched in spring will select the 
early months of the following year for the deposition of their 
ova. In approaching the coasts, especially if the weather be 
fine, the herrings come almost to the surface of the water, 
which is much disturbed and ruffled, and covered by hundreds 
of sea-birds, which scream and flutter and dive, as only sea- 
birds can, and thus afford to the fisherman a tolerably accurate 
indication of the appearance and whereabouts of the shoals. 
If, however, the water be rough, the fish subside to a lower 
level ; this also occurs at night, save when the moon is shining, 
for then the herring comes to the surface. This is why, as 
Mr. Mitchell tells us, the fishermen glory in a moonlight night. 
Some are inclined to think that the result is due to the effect 
of light, and with this object have kept brands and torches 
burning at the surface of the water ; but, as the last-named 
naturalist observes, “ with no material advantage in so doing.-” 
The direction of the wind appears to have considerable 
influence over the rapidity of the herring’s journey. When 
strong westerly gales prevail, the fishing season commenc'es 
first on the west coast, and when the wind is easterly the east 
coast has the advantage; a circumstance intelligible enough 
when we conceive of the influence of powerful storms over 
the ocean currents. 
Much has been said in regard to the food of the herring. 
One authority contends that it lives on sea caterpillars; 
another, that flies constitute its staple article of diet. Ac- 
cording to the opinions of the recent Commissioners,* the 
herring lives upon small Crustacea of sizes varying from that of 
a miscroscopic entomostracan to that of a common shrimp, and 
on fish, especially sand-eels. There can be little doubt that the 
herring is a far more omnivorous fish than the Commissioners 
imagine, and far less fastidious in his tastes. Yarrellf mentions 
an instance in which a young bass three inches long was taken 
from the stomach of a herring ; and from the statements of 
others we are warranted in concluding that the herring will 
devour not only its own species and sprats, but also mollusks, 
medusae, flies, and the ova and young of other fishes. 
Besides the fry or young herring, this fish is found in three 
* “Commissioners’ Report,” 1863, p. 28. 
f Vol. ii. p. 190. 
