APPRARANCES OF THE PILCHARD. 
325 
so many of the rarer pelagic birds on our coasts 
seems to allow of readier explanation than that of 
rarities from amongst other tribes, because we find 
that the former are bestowed on us in most profusion 
and very frequently only on the occasion of storms, 
or of very severe cold. The object of nestling has 
likewise influence with some, but winter is the 
season in which by far the greater number of the 
web-footed species appear here, and not only do 
many of those reared in more northern countries 
migrate thus far south, but others come from their 
breeding places in our own island, A great many 
of the w'ater birds however occur on our coasts 
without our being able to assign any cause for their 
appearance, as they have arrived independently of 
storms or severe cold. The Little Gull has been 
obtained in England seven times, and five of the 
birds were from Devon. The rarer kinds of Tern 
mentioned above have occurred without assignable 
causes, besides many other birds, but possibly the 
security of our bays and harbours together with 
the mildness of climate, may be the attractions to 
such of them as lead a wandering life. 
The geographical distribution of fishes is so very 
imperfectly known that but very little can be 
offered respecting it. About 150 species have been 
recorded as British, and of these about 120 are 
found on the south-west coasts. Many approach 
our shores at fixed periods, and of these none is 
more interesting than the Pilchard on account of 
its numbers, and its importance as an article of 
winter food to the poorer inhabitants. It appears 
in August, and generally remains till the end of 
September. Its comparative scarcity with us for 
the last few years is remarkable. There is a pre¬ 
vailing opinion that it arrives later and later every 
year, and indeed about forty years ago it did not 
ever appear until November. In 1837 it came off 
