The Republican journal., 1874-02-26
Herrings.

breadth, coming to and going from par
tlcular stretches &C sea. in what seems
rather capricious manner. There have
oeen several theories respecting these ii
regular migratory habits. One thing APP
pears to be certain; they obey the instinct
which leads them to favorite spots for feed
ing, and also for spawning. That instinct,
however, is universal in fish. They do not
90 where there is deficiency of their ap-
propriate food. The Mediterranean, for eX-
ample, has no fish worth speaking of, ex-
cept the sardine. The reason is, that there
being no recession of tides and consequent
ly no seaweeds to encourage the growth
OF crustacea, as food for fishes, the water
contains comparatively little animal life.
The food of the herring is believed to con
slSt cMeily OF minute crustaceans and float
ing intusoria, but small fishes are also de-
voured. The quality OF the herring is very
various. and is evidently dependent on the
nature Of the feeding ground None is
equal in richness and delicacy of flavor to
that captured in Loeb Fyne, that extended
inlet of the sea reaching to Inveraly and
on which Ardrishaig may be called the
metropolis Of herring Various localities
have such marked differences in size, shape
and quality that an expert can at a glance
as easily distinguished a Loeb Fyne her
ring from one caught in the Firth of Forth.
as Il pastoral farmer can tell 4 CheviOt
sheep from a Southdown. When the her
ring is in it's tattest and best condition it i,
calledby fisher people matte In buying,
connOis5eurS take care to get MATES There
is another tcchncality worth knowing
When caught, the herring5 are reckoned
by Grams a Gran being q measure of forty
five gallons The boats required in the
herring fishery although open, are Of con
siderable size, in order to contain the large
quantity OF nets which are used, as we'll
us to bring home the mass Of fish that max
be taken, Along the Scottish coast, from
Aberdeen northward, fishing tOr herring
is 4 staple profession. the eliminating
point being Wick, in Caitlness In july
and August, when the capture chiefly
takes place, You hear scarcely anything
else talked about but hrrrn0s. The whole
population is ago on the subject Ony
fish this moming?H is the first salutatlon Ul
one nclGhb0r to another AT Wick the
native Inhabitants, augmented by 1000
strangers, Wakrn into renewed life 1t l.
like Doncastcr on the approach of the ST
leger' All blTghtens up at the prospect
Of the fishery, the Shops being fresh paint
ed outside and newly replenisheI within
The strangers who make their appearance
are what are called the ''hired hands
Many Of them are small farmer, from the
lIebrldes, who come to earn an honest
penny Wherewith to pay their rent The
streaming away of the boats to the fish
ing-ground is 4 sight worth seeing, for
perils of the deep have to be encountered
and the female part of the population look
on the departure with corresponding any
icty. Vast rs is the trade, it il unfortunate
" said to be on an unhealthy footing
There are Il few independent fishermen
Witu own their own boats and nets. and
have means To hire hands But in very
many cases, money needs to be- advanced
by curerS, who bargain for SO many cram,
paving the money long in advance, and
even lending money for the purchase OF
boats and nets As there is no absolute
certainty that there VIII be Il good fishing
season, the money advanced may not be
redeemed, and scenes Of distress cnsue
The Scotch herring fishery Is etrictly reg
ulated by act ot Parliament Ii has been
eTavcly doubted a. tG whether il is worth
while to enforce rules as to the size OF
mesh in nets on to forbid traWiug: for all
that men can possible capture Is inSignlh
cant in comparison with the quantity ut
ISh produced on the quantities destroyed
by natural enemies III the deep A. the
rOr OF each female herring lS 5ald to Vlcit
in a season IS, 600 Young, it l. difficult to-
see what impression can be made on the
shoals by any Kind of fishing. 1t is ut all
events satisfactory t1 know that the scot
tiSh 1isherjes in alI departments depend
exclusively on private enterprise They