In November, 1587, two Herrings were taken on the coast of Norway on the bodies of which were markings representing Gothic printed characters. These Herrings had the signal honor of being presented to the King of Norway, Frederick II. This superstitious prince turned pale at sight of this supposed prodigy. On the back of these innocent inhabitants of the deep he saw certain cabalistic characters, which he thought announced his death and that of his queen. Learned men were consulted. Their science, as reported, enabled them to read distinctly words expressing the sentiment, “Very soon you will cease to fish Herrings, as well as other people.” Other savants were assembled who gave another explanation; but in 1588 the king died, and the people were firmly convinced that the two Herrings were celestial messengers charged to announce to the Norwegian people the approaching end of the monarch.
This Fish abounds throughout the entire Northern Ocean in immense shoals, which are found in the bays of Greenland, Lapland, and round the whole coast of the British islands. Great shoals of them also occupy the gulfs of Sweden, of Norway and of Denmark.
It was the favorite theory, not very long ago, that Herrings emigrated to and from the arctic regions. It was asserted, by the supporters of this theory, that in the inaccessible seas of high northern latitudes Herring existed in overwhelming numbers, an open sea within the arctic circle affording a safe and bounteous feeding-ground. At the proper season vast bodies gathered themselves together into one great army, which, in numbers exceeding the powers of imagination, departed for more southern regions.
This great Herr, or army, was sub-divided, by some instinct, as they reached the different shores, led, according to the ideas of fishermen, by Herring of more than ordinary size and sagacity, one division taking the west side of Britain, while another took the east side, the result being an adequate and well divided supply of Herrings, which penetrated every bay and arm of the sea.
Closer observation, however, shows that this theory has no existence in fact. Lacepede denies that those periodical journeyings take place. Valenciennes also rejects them. It is true that the Herrings have disappeared in certain neighborhoods in which they were formerly very plentiful; but it is also certain that, in many of the fishing stations, Fish are taken all the year round. Moreover, the discovery that the Herring of America is a distinct species from that of Europe, and that they do not even spawn in the same waters, is fatal to the theory. In short, there is a total absence of proof of their migrations to high northern latitudes, and recent discoveries all tend to show that the Herring is native to the shores on which it is taken.