THE HERRING.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 124, 22 September 1853, Page 3

THE HERRING.

In continuation of the subject of the eslablishment of fisheries on the shores of New Zealand, and in description of the fish assumed to be natives of our waters, we proceed to furnish the following particulars of the natural history of the herring ''This fish, which furnishes a large class; of persons with an important article of food, is from ten to twelve inches in length. It is principally distinguished by the brilliant silvery colour of its body, the advancement of the lower jaw beyond the upper, and by the number of rays in theanal fin, which are generally found to amount to sixteen; the back and sides are green, varied with blue; '■ the eyes are large; the mouth without visi- j ble teeth; the openings of the gill covers very large,; the scales moderate in size, oval, and thin; the lateral line, not very distinctly visible; the belly carinalcd, but not serrated ; the fins rather small than large for the size of the fish ; and the tail considerably forked. " It has long been asserted, and generally believed, that Herrings are found in the greatest abundance in the high northern laliliulcs ; and that the prodigious shoals, which at certain seasons, fill our seas, are making their migratory excursions from those icy regions. Hut this 'great fact' in natural history has not only been called in question of laic, bul the migration of tho Herring from one lulilmlr to another has been denied by men of high scientific attainments who have given the subject great attention, and who assert that the Herring, having passed the winter and spring months, in llie deep recesses of the ocean, follows the dictates of nature, anil at the proper season approaches the shallower water near the coasts to deposit its spawn." The belief in the migrations of the Herring existed for many years. And they have been represented to have proceeded from the Arctic Ocean to the shores or Great Ilritain in countless myriads. Thisstatement I however, has of laic been controverted by I .Mr. Yarrcll a very eminent authority, who

brings forward manv valid and well supported objections to llie theory of the Herring's migration. i "To sliow," writes Mr Yarroll, thai llns supposed migration to am) from high northern latitudes does not exist, it is only necessary lo stale, that the Herring has never been noticed, that I am aware, as abounding in the Arctic Ocean : il has not been observed in any number in the proper icy seas: nor have our whalemen or arctic voyagers taken any particular notice of them. There is no fishery for them any ofconsequence either in Greenland or Iceland. On the southern coast of Greenland the herring is a rare tish, and only a small variety of il is found on the northern shore. Tins small variety or species was found bv Sir John Franklin on the shore or llio Polar basin, on his second journey." " Herrings arc fnll of roe in llio end of June, and continue in perfection till the beginning of winter, when they deposit their spawn. The voting Herrings begin lo approach the shores in July and August, and are then from half an inch lo two inches long. The Dutch arc said lo have engaged in the fishery in llfii, being nearly "00 years since. The invention of pickling or salting Herrings is ascribed lo one Rcukcls or Uenkelson, of Biervliet, near Sluoys, who died in 1597. The emperor Charles the Fifth visited his grave, and ordered a magnificent tomb lo be erected to bis memory. Since this earlv period the Dutch have uniformly maintained their ascendancy in llie Herring fishery. The mode of fishing for Herrings is by "drift nets ; the fishing is carried on onlv in the night : ihe most favourable time being when it is quite dark, and ihe surface of the water is milled by a breeze. The Herring Fishery is a source of great commercial importance to England, Holland and France. It affords an immense amount of employment to the inhabitants and shipping of these three nations;—the fish both smoked and pickled, being largely exported to every quarter oflhe world. The Herring is lo be seen in almost every grocer's shop,— either smoked or in pickle,—or bolh.