764 MR. T. J. YVIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
market. About 400 boats were out fishing and returned with 
a total of 20,600 crans. The prices per cran were from 19s. 
to 22s. From this time onwards the deliveries were fair 
average catches, except for the first week in December when 
the weather was very boisterous, and the dark nights told 
seriously against the success of the fishing. Dense fogs have 
also been experienced and made the navigation of the sea and 
river very dangerous. During this week (first in December) 
a large number of the sailing craft and a few steam drifters 
belonging to the north left for home and many of the fish- 
workers also took their departure by special trains to 
Aberdeen and other northern ports. 
During the past season the unit of measurement at 
Yarmouth and Lowestoft has been the cran. The quarter 
cran measure may be a basket or a box. The basket must 
be of a circular form, well made and well bound. The 
dimensions are : — interior diameter at bottom 14J inches ; 
at mouth 17! inches ; diagonal measurement from inside the 
bottom to inner side of the mouth 21J inches ; height inside 
14! inches, rise in bottom ii inches. The box must be oblong, 
made of well seasoned and suitable wood, and of the following 
dimensions : — length inside 31 inches ; depth inside 7 inches ; 
breadth inside 14! inches. These measures will contain 
250 fair sized Herrings. Both baskets and boxes must be 
examined by an Inspector of Weights and Measures, verified 
by him, and branded or marked. 
It may be interesting to note that while the enormous 
catches of Herrings at Yarmouth and Lowestoft are chronicled 
week by week in local and other papers, we are apt to lose 
sight of the fact that the fishing is also carried on at the same 
time ( i.e during the Autumn) at many other places round 
the coast. We may mention Lerwick, Stornaway, Fleetwood. 
West of England (Plymouth, St. Ives, Newlyn, Newquay and 
Brixham). It will thus be seen that the quantity of Herrings 
caught round the coast of Great Britain in the course of the 
year is almost beyond calculation. 
On comparing the figures for 1907 with those of 190S it 
will be seen that at Yarmouth there was a decrease of 7576 
