Page:Cornwall (Salmon).djvu/40

 CORNWALL assert that the pilchard is no other than the popular sardine — that sardine, in fact, is merely a French name for pilchard. Fishermen themselves sometimes contradict this statement, and those who watch the fish being landed at St. Ives or Newlyn often doubt it, because the fish that they see are in general much larger than the average sardine. The difference in size may be accounted for by the fact that Cornish nets have a rather large mesh, and the smaller fish are not captured. It must further be re- membered that sardines are almost invariably packed without their heads, and that to take the head oft" an average pilchard would often reduce it to the size of a "sardine". It is known for a certainty, also, that sprats are preserved and sold to the public in a similar manner as sardines. Mr. F. G. Aflalo's word is worth something, and he says: "Of the identity of pilchard and sardine there is no longer any reasonable doubt ". The most characteristic of Cornish methods of fishing is the use of the seine, sometimes spelt scan; but this is already being largely abandoned. With its disuse the occupation of " huers " will be gone. These huers, sta- tioned on the cliffs, watch the sea for days together, waiting to sight the arrival of the shoals, which is indicated by a reddish and dark appearance of the water, as well as b)' the hovering of sea-birds. Having signalled the coming and position of the fish, the boats set out, to the number usually of three boats