Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

GENUS XXIII.—THE HERRING.

Gen. Char.-Eight branchiostegous rays; the belly extremely sharp, and often serrated.

Species 1.-The Herring.

Herring, Wil. Icth. 219. Raii Syn. Pisc. 103. Clupea Harengus, Lin. Sys. 522. Brit. Zool. 284, tab. 17. Sib. Scot. 23.

ALL writers who have taken the least notice of the Natural History of the Orkney Islands, tell us of the numerous swarms of herrings that are to be found amongst them. Mr Wallace says, in his time, or some years before, many ships from Fife frequented this country for catching of herring, but that the skippers and seamen being at the battle of Kilsyth, were almost all killed, since which time the trade failed; and indeed, these many years no herrings have been caught in Orkney, not so much for want of them, as (I imagine) that oddity, so firmly implanted in human nature, which compels us to hunt through the whole world for things which we may have at our own doors.

I am well informed by seamen, they have met the herrings on our coasts; I have heard of them setting as far into our sounds as Scalpa Bay. There are fishings of herrings all round us,—the Shetland Isles swarm with them in April, and

later, the east coasts of Caithness, in August,—the Hebrides, latter end of the year,—and the more southerly parts of Britain, as they proceed in their expedition. Now, notwithstanding of their acknowledged capriciousness in their annual migrations, it would be folly to think they do not take our isles in their way, while they pass in such great numbers on each side of us.

Another proof that they are with us is, that at certain times our sounds swarm with their fry; and these sometimes run so far into the bays, that I have caught great numbers of these in June, about six, seven, or eight inches long, in the fresh water at the mouth of the loch of Stenness; and have seen in the same place several barrels taken by the country people, who have nets for the purpose.

Within these few years past, our vessels have gone to a place called Staxigo, on the coast of Caithness, where they have had good success in fishing herrings, which makes me hope, as they see they are to be got so near home, they will at length attempt them in their own bays, where I should imagine there was just as great a probability of succeeding as anywhere else, provided they are once acquainted with the time of their setting into the bays of the Orkneys; for it is well known the herring is a fish which makes no long stay in one place, and if not attended to while to be found, all is over for the season. But till these, and many other precautions, be used, we can only say with Martin, Wallace, &c. "They are "here, but, alas, they are neglected!"

Whether any other of this genus appear here, I am altogether uncertain.

I have not the least doubt but many other both curious and valuable fish are to be found here, though they have not yet come to my knowledge, as it is scarce possible for any one person to investigate all, though ever so diligent ; and here, though indolence prevails very much, yet we are much fonder of ordinary than curious fish, and many of the latter, though taken, are never perhaps brought ashore, but immediately thrown overboard, or, if they are brought ashore, little minded. If, therefore, a set of intelligent people, at different places of the country, would take the trouble of observing, and of communicating their observations to each other, this would have a great effect to form a complete natural history of particular places, from which might be compiled a general history of the whole islands of Britain; but this never can be done by one, without the help of many.

ADDENDA.

The Gemmeous Dragonet.

Lin. Sys. 433. Brit. Zool. 130. Illus. pl. 30.

I FOUND a specimen of this fish entangled among the seaware, and which is the only one I ever saw. It was about six inches long, the head large, and flat; the body conical. The breast fins large, as are the ventral. But what struck me, was the first back-fin, the first ray of which is so long as to reach the tail, and is sufficient to distinguish it from all the Orkney fishes.

[blocks in formation]

THE Gurnard is caught by shipping as they approach these isles, and all round them, by hanging a hook and baited line over the stern in a brisk breeze, at which this fish (which is a very quick swimmer), bites, and is caught for the firmness of its fish. When they are hauled on board, they make a sort of croaking plaintive noise, something like an angry person growling to himself, and this for some time.

G g

Before they can be dressed, the skin must be taken off, which is prickly about the head and fins.

The Saury.

Pen. Tour, 1st ed. p. 284.

LAST year (1775), such a glut of these fish set into the head of Kerston Bay, that they could be caught in pailfuls. Numbers were caught, and heaps flung ashore. Our seamen called them Garfish, and said they were frequent on the coast of America. They were remarkable for a set of false fins between the back and tail-fin, and between that and the anal below. They differed in bulk, but were from nine to twelve inches long. The mouth was like the bill of a bird, horny, and projected into two recurved mandibles. The colour on the back a dark green; the belly silver-coloured.

No man living near the place where they set in, remembered any of the kind in these seas; so that it is probable they had drove out of their way, and not knowing how to recover it, had run among these isles, where many of them perished, and very few of the shoal got to sea.

Printed by G. Ramsay & Co.

Edinburgh, 1812.

THE END.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »