A sharp look-out is kept.  An oily gleam in the sea tells the knowing fisherman that the shoal is there; or he may see a Gull swoop down and carry off a Herring.  Then the nets are put out in the path of the shoal.  A big fleet of fishing vessels may let down a thousand miles of nets!

The Herrings, not seeing the fine wall of net, swim into it.  Now the openings in the net—­the meshes—­are one inch across, just wide enough for the Herring to poke his head through.  Once through, he is caught.  His gill-covers prevent him from drawing back again.  Thousands of other Herrings are held tight, all around him, and the rest of the shoal scatters for the time being.

When the nets are hauled in, the fisherman beholds a mighty catch, a sight to repay him for all his trouble.  On being taken from its watery home each Herring is dead almost at once—­“as dead as a Herring.”

Then comes the race to the market.  Once in port, the vessels are rapidly emptied.  Hundreds of thousands of shining, silvery bodies are piled on the quays—­a sight worth seeing!  An army of packers gets to work; and the fresh fish are soon on the rail, speeding to the great fish markets, on the way to your breakfast table.

The story of the Herring fishery is one of deep interest, and of great importance.  Millions of Herrings are caught every year, forming a cheap and good food.  Yet there are uncountable numbers left; and there is not the least danger that our nets can ever empty the sea of this wonderful little fish.

The Herring has several smaller relatives, all of them being excellent food for us.  The Pilchard is one of them; the Sardine is merely a young Pilchard.  Countless myriads of Pilchards visit the Cornish coast; strangely enough, they frequent only this corner of our seas.

Another cousin of the Herring, the Sprat, is also a fine food, and so cheap that poor people can enjoy it.  Baby Herrings and baby Sprats are caught in great quantity, and sold under the name of “Whitebait.”  It was thought, at one time, that the Whitebait was another kind of fish; but Whitebait are really the Herring and Sprat in their baby state.

EXERCISES

1.  Name several enemies of the Herring. 2.  Describe the eggs of the Herring, and where they are laid. 3.  What is a “drift-net,” and how is it used? 4.  What is a Sardine?  What is a “Whitebait?”

LESSON II

THE STORY OF THE FLAT FISH

You see fish of many shapes and sizes in the fishmonger’s shop; they can be divided into two kinds—­round fish and flat fish.  Cod, Herring, Mackerel and Salmon are round fish.  The flat fish are Plaice, Turbot, Brill, Halibut, Sole, Dab and Flounder.

Most people know the taste, as well as the look, of a Plaice; but few know much about its life in the ocean.  Indeed, there are secrets in the life of this fish, and many other fish too, which still puzzle us.