Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/147

Rh shallow parts of the rocky lakes (in which only it is found), and some of the streams that run into them: it is then taken in abundance; but so soon as the spawning is over, the fishes retire into the deepest parts of the lake, and are but rarely caught.

The principal Mackerel fisheries are on the Devon and Cornwall coasts, the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts, and on those of Kent and Sussex. The London market is principally supplied from the latter. In the French fisheries a great number of the Mackerel taken are salted; and a few are so treated in Cornwall, and in the south and west of Ireland; but in this country, generally, this fish is consumed in a fresh state. It is, however, one of those species which are peculiarly liable to rapid decomposition, in which state it is said to be not only offensive, but scarcely less than poisonous. Hence it is highly expedient that it be transmitted to its final market with the least possible delay. The stringency of our laws against Sunday trading has been relaxed in favour of Mackerel, which, with milk, is the only article permitted to be publicly hawked through the streets of the metropolis on the Lord's day.

On such parts of the Kentish coast as are sufficiently near to the mouth of the Thames, the Mackerel fishing-boats are accompanied by fleet-sailing cutters, which collect the produce of the aggregated hauls as they are brought in, and run up with the wind and tide to Billingsgate, leaving the boats to pursue their fishing. From points farther to the westward, as Hastings and Brighton, it is found more convenient to send the