^{page 463 note *} See a Memoir by Dr MacCulloch in Brande's Journal for 1829.

^{page 464 note *} We have already seen a person assert, in open defiance of the statements of all practical fishermen, and of every writer on natural history, from Linne downwards to Professor Rennie, that the food of the Herring was known to every body!! The object of such remarks cannot be mistaken. The respect due to science, and to this Society, precludes me from noticing such statements at greater length in this place. A few additional remarks will be found in the Appendix.

^{page 465 note *} When herling first ascend a river, and are taken shortly after their ascent, but within that part of the river influenced by the tide, they are clear, silvery, and covered with scales, compared with what they become after a short residence in fresh water above the influence of the tide. In July and August, for example, herling taken in the stake-net, of the Solway or even in the Nith, as high or a little higher than the port of Kelton, are in this prime state, and moreover have a redness of flesh, giving the fish a general vermilion colour in certain positions, and an excellence of flesh as an article of food in no shape inferior to the grilse. Their stomachs and intestines are empty, or contain only the peculiar salmon-food. They will remain several days in this part of the Nith without resorting to any other description of food, although the river at the time actually abounds with herring-fry, minnow, small shrimps (forming exclusively the food of a very superior sort of river-trout). On the other hand, fish the river Annan at about twelve miles in a direct line from its mouth, in the latter end of September, and the herling will be found in sufficient abundance, but altered, first, as to external appearance, it has assumed much of the sea-trout: its organs of generation (male or female) are rapidly advancing to the spawning condition. The stomach contains minnow and the ordinary food of trout; and yet it is worthy of notice, that when kept they do not run so rapidly into a putrescent state as the common trout taken at the same time. The females are about one-half more numerous than the males, and the quality of the flesh is little, if at all, better than that of the common trout. It was remarked, also, that all the herlings taken at this time and in this locality, were advancing rapidly into the breeding condition; whereas many common trout, equally large, were not altering into this state, being trout which evidently would have remained barren throughout this season at least. The flesh of these was superior to that of the herling caught as above.

^{page 468 note *} Experiments are wanting to determine to what extent the spawned salmon of the true salmon kind feed in rivers during the spring months; but on this, as on most of the disputed points, see the Appendix generally.

^{page 470 note *} Mr Rudolphi arranges this kind of tape worm with the “Botriocephali.” His authority in this respect I should suppose to be superior to every other.

^{page 471 note *} The history of the tape-worm as it. affects the human species, is a subject well deserving a most extended inquiry. It is stated on the authority of Mr Pearce, who travelled and resided a considerable time in Abyssinia, that the natives of that country are exceedingly subject to tape-worm. After what I observed in Africa, where the disease, on a particular occasion, attacked almost every one, I have no hesitation in ascribing the cause of its frequency in Abyssinia to the use of unwholesome beef.—See a Memoir in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal for 1822.

^{page 485 note *} Do they know it as such?

^{page 486 note *} The following statements, derived from the Evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons, are founded on tolerable evidence:

Wales (Brecon).—“Has seen many spawn in the middle of February, never saw a fish spawn in March.”

Cork (Lee).—“Spawn in October and November.”

Counties of Cromarty and Sutherland (Shinn, &c.)—“Salmon spawn early in the month of October, all the breeding fish have passed up, and before the end of November the spawning is over.”

Inverness (Beauly).—“They spawn the latter end of October.”

Aberdeen (Don and Dee).—“They have all done spawning by the 1st February.”

Berwick (Tweed).—“Salmon spawn in January and February.”

^{page 487 note *} The great cause, however, of the deterioration of the salmon, is his disinclination to feed during the rapid growth of the organs of generation. A barren fish coming into fresh-water would not, in all likelihood, fall off so soon as the fish about to spawn.

^{page 491 note *} “You may get people to buy any thing if you sell it cheap enough.” Mr J. Johnstone's Evidence, p. 53. Everything I have observed with regard to the use of unwholesome food amongst the lower orders, tends to confirm Mr Johnstone's opinion.

With reference to this note, it may be suggested, that the pickling and kippering of salmon by improper persons, is a subject well worthy the investigation of the Legislature; as this is the only means by which positively unwholesome salmon can be imposed on the public, and is at the same time a strong inducement to poaching.

^{page 494 note *} Travels to the Banks of the Columbia, by Mr Ross Cox.

^{page 498 note *} I take this position as proved by a passage in the Salmonia, where Sir H. Davy speaks of the whale having no swimming-bladder.

^{page 499 note *} Paley.

^{page 499 note †} Sir H. Davy.

^{page 499 note ‡} “Animal Mechanics.“

^{page 499 note §} See The Anatomy of Expression in Painting by Sir C. Bell.

^{page 500 note *} The term worm is usually applied to earth-worm, a sort of bait which will hardly be found in the estuary of any river, and the other bait should have been characterised. A reference to Part II. will shew that gregarious fishes do not take, indiscriminately, whatever bait they can catch; and, as the question of food determines the locality of the feeding-ground, and, this being determined, settles all questions of proprietorship, it seems clear to me, that on the Committee discovering that not one of the witnesses upon the salmon-fisheries knew a single positive fact as to the food of the salmon, the most important of all the questions brought before them, and upon which every other hinged, the investigation ought to have ceased there, and not resumed until that point was fairly settled by persons competent for the task.

^{page 504 note *} The “Journal of Observations” on which this memoir is based, is most extensive, but it has not been thought necessary to trouble the reader with so many details.

^{page 505 note *} My reason for selecting the Vendace or Corregonus as the next object of inquiry, may here be stated. It was admitted to be allied to both genera, viz. to the Clupea and Salmo, and to be a fish whose food was absolutely unknown. The same was true of the Herring; but I fancied an inquiry into the food of the Corregonus, as being a fresh-water fish, whose habitat was, as it were, local or very limited, to be a matter more within my reach, at least compared with the herring. I imagined, also, that could I discover the food of the Corregonus, I should be led to that of the herring. The result proved me right in my conjecture.

^{page 506 note *} I beg here to offer my best thanks to Provost Thomson, for his great liberality and kindness in allowing me to fish the lake during the summer of 1833.

^{page 507 note *} It is mentioned in Captain Franklin's Journey to the Polar Sea, that the stomach of the Corregonus Signifer or Back's Grayling “is generally filled with gravel or black earth.” This black earth, I presume, may be the remains of the testaceous entomostraca or other microscopic shell-fish, on which this kind of Corregonus probably subsists.

^{page 513 note *} Contrast these cautious observations of this strictly correct, scientific, and candid person, and the opinions of the gentlemen who follow, with the following “opinions” of persons misnamed practical men, and who, having sold herrings, and at one period, perhaps, attended a course of lectures on natural history, fancy themselves competent to speak and write about zoological matters. A person of this kind (to whom I have replied elsewhere) has made the following extraordinary statements and discoveries:—1st, That “the Bounty System placed the Scottish herrings in direct and successful competition with the herrings cured by the Dutch in most of the markets of the Continent.” My reply is, that the whole of the exports of herrings from Britain to the Continent of Europe in 1830, amounted to 24,960 barrels, and that the Dutch trade to Germany alone used to be 130,000.

2dly, He asserts that “the Dutch fish close to our own shores.” My answer is, that I know the contrary.

3dly, He states that the inferiority in “the Scottish herrings at some localities is owing to their not being bled or gutted immediately when taken out of the sea.” My answer is, that the Lochfine herrings are the best in Scotland, and they are not gutted at all, so far as I have observed; the gills and heart merely seem to be removed.

4thly, He affirms that “the entomostraca are young crabs and lobsters;” which is just as if we were to say, that sheep are young oxen, not yet grown.

5thly, He has misquoted the Report of the Herring Fisheries, and finally asserted, that “the food of the herring, as I have described it, was known to scientific men for hundreds of years.” In 1833, Professor Rennie, of the King's College, London, declares the food of the herring to be altogether unknown; but a perusal of the quotations from the Transactions of the Highland Society will convince my readers that I could not trust myself with a reply suited to such an assertion.

^{page 515 note *} Since reading my paper to the Society, I observe some attempts are making to improve, or vary the mode of preparing, the herring for the market. I observe some offered for sale kippered, with the whole viscera and organ of generation, &c. entirely removed; but these herring are not good food, not being taken at the proper time and place! It is a vile trick of trade, worthy of its inventor; and of precisely the same nature as the kippering of salmon during the months of October and November.