HERRING. 
1 95 
grate, and, like bees from a hive, form other colo- 
nies. They no sooner leave their retreats, but mil- 
lions of enemies appear to thin their squadrons. 
Whales swallow hundreds at a yawn ; the porpoise, 
the grampus, and the different species of shark, 
find them an easy prey, and spread extensive ruin 
among them. They are likewise tormented by the 
sea-fowl, who watch their motions and attend them 
on their voyage. Thus assailed on every side, 
they seek for safety by crowding closer together, 
and leaving the outer ones to be first devoured. The 
large body which moves to the west passes along 
the coast of America as far south as Carolina, but 
seldom much farther. They arrive at Georgia and 
Carolina about the latter end of January, and in 
Virginia in February ; from hence they coast east- 
ward to New England. They then separate, and 
run up every river and stream they can find, in order 
to deposit their spawn, where they continue till the 
latter end of April, when the old fish return to the 
sea, and steer to the northward till they reach New- 
foundland. 
Mr. Pennant thus describes the visit which the 
herrings annually pay our shores, after having in- 
formed us that the word herring is derived from the 
German heer , an army, to express their numbers : 
“ They begin to appear off the Shetland isles in 
April and May : these are only forerunners of the 
grand shoal, which comes in June, and their ap- 
pearance is marked' by certain signs; by the num- 
bers of birds, such as gannets and others, which 
