Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/242

1408 caught by their companions, yet all seem anxious to get back and par- take of the actual fishing. In this way the fishery is never interrupted. The winter drives them high up the Channel where they remain in deep water, rarely rising to the surface till the spring. As spring ad- vances they pursue a directly contrary course to the one described above, and again go westward, and our boats go eastward, while the Brighton and other eastern boats come westwards till they fall in with them. From this it would appear, that the distances they advance up the Channel are different in different seasons ; for sometimes they are taken abundantly off Brighton and Hastings, and at others only off Plymouth, and the Devonshire and Cornish shores. If the fish of the spring fishery be examined, it will be found that the roe is growing fast. The fish of this season are smaller than those of autumn; sometimes the schulls are composed entirely of small fish, the young of the preceding year, or of mixed fish, the old and young together. The course is very irregular, sometimes they lie at the bottom in deep water, and at others rise to the surface or approach the shore. But as summer advances the roe becomes still further developed, and then they approach the sandy bays for the purpose of spawning. At this season they appear to be the most active, and present, from the shores, very lively and picturesque scenes. In the spring and autumn fish- ery, drift nets alone are used, but in the summer, when they approach the shore, seines are also employed. The spawn are deposited about June, July, and August, and in September and October they again re- treat to the Atlantic and into the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel, through the space between the Scilly Islands and the main land. The spawn soon becomes developed into the young fish, which remain in the bays through the winter, as is proved by the large quantities frequently enclosed in the pilchard seines ; and on one or two occa- sions, I have known these young fish mistaken and enclosed for pil- chards. The mackerel is a fish of very rapid growth, for the young of one season breeds the next. If the spawning occurs early, the young retire with the old to deep water again to renew their migra- tions. This may be taken as the result of the observations for the last few years, though it does not accord with the experience of Mr. Yarrell. It should be observed, however, that their movements are liable to variations and occasional revolutions, though the fishermen tell me, the changes have not been very great for many years. The causes for these revolutions are at present involved in great obscurity, and, as it is impossible to investigate all the circumstances connected with them, they are not likely to be speedily elucidated. There are,