110 
SPRAT. 
fishes in its season of absence, and is not looked for until a 
little after midsummer and towards autumn, after which it 
becomes abundant, and continues to be caught through the 
winter; but its time of appearing varies in different places 
and in different years, and the same uncertainty appears to 
exist in regard to the season of spawning, which, however, 
occurs in summer, and probably late in the autumn also. It 
appears, however, that the young fry are not so well known 
as those of the Herring and Pilchard; but in July and 
August they have appeared in multitudes of the length of 
two inches or a little above it, and are preyed on by many 
kinds of fishes, which pursire them in all directions along 
the surface, and before which they fly as a flock of sheep 
before dogs: but a mass of floating sea-weeds affords them a 
welcome refuge from their persecutors. 
I have not heard of an instance where this fish has been 
caught with a hook, which may be because its mouth is too 
small for such as are usually employed at sea; for there is no 
reason to suppose that it is less ready to seize its prey than 
others of its race. But the usual manner of fishing for them 
is with an enormous bag-net, made with small meshes, which 
according to law must not be less than half an inch in 
measure from knot to knot; and this net, called a stow-net, 
is forbidden to be used at any time between the 10th. day 
of November and the 10th. of February; but ground-seans 
for Sprats are legal between the 1st. of November and the 
1st. of April. The mouth of the stow-net is kept open 
against the course of the tide by a eouple of beams, one 
above the other, at the height of about six fathoms; and they 
thus remain suspended from a boat in such a manner that as 
the fish are carried along with the tide they are driven into 
a gulf from which there is no return. A few of larger 
size and of the better quality are sometimes caught in drift- 
nets; and the quantity altogether thus taken is enormous, — 
thus affording a cheap and esteemed food in many places on 
the coast, and especially, although not solely, to the poorer 
classes of the British Metropolis, for they come to the table 
even of the rich. 
But it is not always for food that the fishery is conducted 
for Sprats, for we believe they are not prepared for exportation; 
