THE PILCHARD, 
28l 
Its ordinary fize does not exceed nine inches.; the body 
•is a little thicker in proportion than that of the herring, 
and the belly lefs iharp : The fcales are very large, thin, 
and rounded ; the back is bluilh ; the (ides and belly fii- 
very ; the head is compreffed, and the mouth without 
teeth. The upper angle of each of the gills is marked 
with a large black fpot ; fome have four or five inch 
fpots difpofed in a row near the tail ; the lower edge of 
the belly is lerrated, owing to the row of large clypuorm 
fcales that runs along it. 
The pilchard annually appears in large Qioals off the 
Cornijh coafts, from whence it is regularly exported in 
great quantities into the Mediterranean. The billing 
feafon is from June till the beginning of Winter ; a few 
fometimes are found hovering about till C hr i ft mas. 
There are fpies, or huers, as they arc provincially called, 
llationed on the cliffs that project into thefca, whofe bu(i« 
nefs it is to watch the progrefs of the fhoals, and to give 
notice to the boats below of the meafures they are to 
take, by means of iignals previoufly agreed upon. 
By an act of James I. tliefs huers are empowered to go 
over the grounds of others, without being liable to da- 
mages *. By their motions the nets are both (hooted 
and drawn ; and when they have been fuccefsful in in- 
flating part of a (lioal, an hundred thoufand are fome- 
times taken at a (ingle draught. In Oflober 1767, there 
were at one time inclofed in the Bay of St. Ives, feven 
thoufand hogfkcads, or two hundred and forty-five mil- 
lions of (iih. The average amount of the export of thefe 
fillt appears to be 29, “95 hhds. annually; which, includ- 
ing the bounty paid by government, and the price of the 
Vol. III. N n oil 
* Cay. 23. 
