“Eventually this skilful sea-sportsman seemed to arrange his springs so as to fall just under the very spot on which the exhausted Flying-fish were about to drop. This catastrophe took place at too great a distance for us to see from the deck what happened; but on our mounting high on the rigging, we may be said to have been in at the death; for then we could discover that the unfortunate little creatures one after another, either popped right into the Dolphin’s jaws as they lighted on the water, or were snapped up instantly after.” THE HERRING. [Illustration: Herring Attacked by Whale.] As this Fish is so commonly known in all parts of the world, it would not seem necessary to give it special mention or description, except for the fact of its congregating in such wonderful “schools” at various seasons, and the fact that it forms the principal food of the Whale family. Because of the great quantities in which it is captured in certain parts of the Old World, it has been called the most important of all Fishes for mankind, and the old Hollanders used to say that the Herring fishery was the greater and the Whale fishery the least. The Herring banks or schools are separated into two groups—the high sea and the coast schools. In each, the Fish are found in unbelievable masses; they extend over a vast space, and in some instances it is claimed that in these great schools the Fish swam so thick that an oar pushed into the midst, did not fall, but remained standing. It has been stated that about thirty years ago, when one of these great schools were passing, the fishermen of Lowestoft, a coast city of about fifteen thousand inhabitants, in the English county of Suffolk, caught in two days around twenty-two millions of Herring, only a small part of which could be preserved. Neither people, nor casks, nor salt enough were at hand, and the greater part of these Herring were used for fertilizer. The markings of the Herring are very peculiar in some instances, and have lead to curious superstitions. The back of the Fish is green during life, but after death it becomes an indigo blue color. Other parts vary in their color and markings, sometimes representing written characters, which ignorant fishermen have considered to be words of mystery.