372 
A. DESCRIPTION OF 
their dangers, and conducts them to their destination. A 
curious singularity is, that the bones of this creature are 
of a bright green colour; the fltsh is not so firm nor of so 
good a flavour as that of the mackerel, but yet the fish 
sells well whenever it comes to market. 
THE HERRING (Clupea harangus,} 
Comes next after the mackerel in shape, as well as in 
delicacy of taste, although it differs much in flavour. It 
is about nine or ten inches long, and about two and a half 
broad, and has bloodshot eyes ; it has large roundish 
scales ; a forked tail ; the body is of a fat, soft, delicate 
flesh, but more rank than that of the mackerel, and there- 
fore less wholesome. Yet some people are so very fond of 
it, that they call the Herring the King of Fishes. They 
swim in shoals, and spawn once a year, about the autumnal 
equinox, at which time they are the best. They come 
into shallow water to spawn, like the mackerel ; and 
hence they periodically visit our coasts, retiring back to 
the deep waters when the spawning season is over. 
The fecundity of the Herring is astonishing. It has 
been calculated, that if the offspring of a single pair of 
Herrings could be suffered to multiply unmolested and 
