Malacopterous Abdominals. FISHES. Halecoids. 
in the Thames, the Tay, and the Seine, are recorded, 
Though the Shad and some other Halecoids enter rhe 
but they are not frequent. The haunts of the great 
British rivers, the Common Herring is not generally 
sculls are supposed to be in deeper water, beyond the 
believed to do so, at least in any considerable numbers. 
reach of nets, but at no great distance from their 
far less to pass the winter in them. But Mr. Ffennell, 
spawning places, so as to admit of sculls coming towards 
inspector of fisheries, stated in 1853 to the Natural 
the shore at all seasons of the year, which is the 
History Society of Dublin, that he had obtained Her- 
case at one station or another. The great fishery 
rings from the Lakes of Killarney, whbi'e they are 
commences, James Wilson says, in May, off the 
named by the fishermen Goureens. To remove doubts 
eastern side of Lewis; at midsummer extends along 
it would be satisfactory to compare a Goureen with an 
the western and eastern shores of Scotland ; and con- 
oceanic herring and also with the Coreguni, which are 
tinues until August, when it reaches its maximum off 
popularly named Fresh-water Herrings. 
Caithness. In Loch Fine, and other western sea-lochs, 
The Sprat {Harengula sprattus) is another Clu- 
the fishery endures into the winter. In Yarmouth 
peoid which abounds on some parts of the British 
district it commences in autumn and lasts over part of 
shores from November through the winter months, and 
the winter; and in December it begins again in the 
in some seasons is so plentiful as to be sold at sixpence 
Firth of Forth, and is carried on there as a winter 
a bushel. This low price excludes the Sprat from the 
fishery. Finally, in spring the fishery is prosecuted 
tables of the rich, but it is excellent when fried, and 
at Ballintrae on the Ayrshire coast, though the fish are 
furnishes a pleasant variety in the diet of the labour- 
then spawning, and in bad condition. From this 
ing classes. An immense quantity is disposed of in 
J 
review, we perceive that there are only a few blank 
London, and the surplus is used for manuring the hop- 
weeks between the end of March and the middle of 
grounds of Kent, at a cost of twenty shillings an acre. 
May. The young, adds this accomplished ichthyolo- 
The White-bait {Rogenia alba), a still smaller 
gist, are too often captured in our firths and bays of 
species than the preceding, bears a high price and is 
the size of sprats, and give sufficient proof that the 
reserved for luxurious tables. Great quantities are 
retirement of the parent fish to breed in the arctic 
consumed by visitors to Greenwich and Blackwall in 
regions is a fable. Recent observations made by order 
the summer months ; certain taverns being celebrated 
of the Dutch government have shown that the appa - 
for the manner in which they are served up, the other 
rently desultory movements of the Herring-sculls in 
delicacies that accompany them, and the high charges 
the fishing season, depend on the temperature of the 
for the repast. At the close of a session of the British 
sea; the Herrings seeking those parts which have 
parliament, the ministers have been so much in the 
a temperature between 54° and 58° of Fahrenheit. 
practice of late years of concluding their labours by 
Young Herrings are very abundant among the 
eating White-bait at the West India Dock Tavern 
Orkney and Zetland islands in summer, and may be 
at Blackwall or at Greenwich, that the dinner having 
discovered in the sliallow waters all round the British 
become almost an institution, its neglect would be con- 
coasts. In Yorkshire they are called the 
sidered an unpopular if not a dangerous innovation. 
Scandinavian name of Sill, belonging to the species. 
For long the White-bait was thought to be the fry of 
being restricted there to the young. 
the Shad, and the Corporation of London as conserva- 
There are, however, other Herrings differing widely 
tors of the Thames promulgated numerous laws for the 
in their habits from the fish of the British seas, which 
repression of the illegal fishery, the punishment by fine 
have been nevertheless described under the same name 
and imprisonment of the fishermen engaged in it, and 
by able ichthyologists and observers. Pallas informs 
the confiscation of their implements. Annually the 
us that Herrings inhabit the arctic seas from the bay of 
lord-mayor and his aldermen descended the river in 
Ochotsk, round the coasts of Kamtschatka and Siberia 
state to detect infringers of their edicts, and to punish 
to the Petchora and White Sea, in immense sculls. 
with severit 3 'any incautious and ill-informed fisherman 
About the summer solstice numberless bands of these 
that they happened to pounce upon; but they concluded 
Herrings enter the bays, and find their way into the 
the unwonted labours of the day by dining upon White- 
fresh-water lakes, where they spawn. Part winter in 
bait. The corruption of the waters of the Thames in 
the fresh-water, their return to the sea being often 
the summer of 1860 was assigned as a reason for the 
prevented by bars of gravel which the autumn storms 
scarcity of White-bait then prevalent. 
throw up. On the approach of the following spring. 
The Twaite-shad {Alama vulgaris) and Allice- 
the Plerrings daily visit the gravel bars in search of 
shad {Alausa communis) are Clupeoids which ascend 
openings whereby they may re-enter the sea, which 
certain British rivers, and also the rivers of France, 
not finding they retire for the night to the depths of 
both on the side of the Baj’ of Biscay and of the Medi- 
the lakes. The Kamtschatdales profit by their know- 
terranean. The Spaniard Ausonius, in his Latin poem 
ledge of these facts, and moving with their families to 
on the Moselle, celebrates the Alausa of that river. 
the bars, make gaps therein, in which they place bag 
The Shads are sometimes called l\Iay-fish, in consequence 
nets, by which they capture immense quantities of tlie 
of their appearing in our rivers in that month ; and 
fish. Baron Wrangell says that the Herring season in 
sometimes kings or queens of the Herrings, because of 
the Yenisei is of vast importance to the natives inhabit- 
their resemblance to an overgrown herring. They are 
ing the banks of that river ; and Erman in his travels 
full of bones and in no great estimation for the table. 
through Siberia, mentions the large bands which annu- 
On the coasts of the United States there are various 
ally ascend the Obi, and seek the sources of its affluents 
kinds of Shads having a general resemblance to the 
in the Ural mountains, where they pass the winter. 
European species, and bearing in the New York market 
VoL. II, 75 
