For other illustrations I make grateful acknowledgement as follows: for Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 19, from _The Sea Fisheries_, to the author, Dr. J. Travis Jenkins, and the publishers, Messrs. Constable; for the frontispiece and No 18, to the Grimsby Coal, Salt and Tanning Co; for Nos. 11, 14 and 20 to Mr. Walter Wood, of the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. Mr. R. A. Fleming, of Liverpool University, very kindly copied Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 for me from Day’s _British Fishes_. Chapter V is based upon Bitting’s monograph on “the preparation of the cod and other salt fish for the market.” (U.S. Dept. Agric. Bur. of Chem. Bull. No. 133). W. E. G. RUNCORN, 1922. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE PREFACE V I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITS OF FISHES 16 III. METHODS OF FISHING 42 IV. THE HERRING FISHING INDUSTRY 54 V. THE NEWFOUNDLAND COD FISHERY 69 VI. TRAWL FISHERIES 77 VII. SHELLFISH 90 VIII. FISHERIES FOR WHALES 99 IX. THE CURING AND PRESERVATION OF FISH 107 X. THE FOOD VALUE OF FISH 115 XI. FISH PRODUCTS 124 INDEX 133 ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE HAULING THE TRAWL _Frontispiece_ 1. METAMORPHOSIS OF PLAICE 17 2. COD 20 3. LEMON SOLE 23 4. SKATE 23 5. HERRING 26 6. PLANKTON 29 7. HERRING EGGS 33 8. PLANKTON CONTAINING FISH EGGS 33 9. TRAWLING (_circa_ 1750) 45 10. DRIFTING (_circa_ 1750) 49 11. SINGLE-BOATER AT FOLKESTONE 51 12. HERRING DRIFTER 57 13. CURING YARD (YARMOUTH) 59 14. SCOTTISH FISHER GIRLS 61 15. SECTION OF MODERN TRAWLER 79 16. PLANS OF MODERN TRAWLER 82 17. THE OTTER TRAWL 85 18. THE CATCH ABOARD 87 19. CHART OF TRAWLING GROUNDS _between pp._ 88 and 89 20. A WHALE’S MOUTH 101 THE FISHING INDUSTRY CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION