_
ON FOOD-FISHES.
25
the Channel, and the incursions of the eastern boats “on
the west, in addition to the local population.
The wonder,
perhaps, is lessened when we consider that for ve» or six
hundred years at least the limited area of the estuary of the
Thames has been persistently shed for shrimps by man, and Ï
that his nets haVe simultaneously killed the young soles, plaice
and dabs throughout this long period without, up
to this date,
affecting in any marked manner the prevalence of; either
crustaceans or shes.
The independence of nature in the sea
and man’s helplessness are further shown in connection with
the swarms of dog—shes that occasionally oCcur in the northwest and in the south, and which ruin his captured shes and
nets.
Step by step we have thus briey passed under review the
'
;
whole series—from minute oating plants and invertebrates to
__
shes,‘ and nd that they constitute a complex cycle, linked
together in intricate b0nds, indissoluble by any agency man ‘
can devise.
Even in the most insignicant group, the Opela—
tions of nature are on a scale which forbids the poss1b1hty0f
human intervention.
Only in certain species exposedb}the
_
tide or which frequent shallow water and are easily opaated©
by man’s agency, or are under special conditions indeép“ wate1,
has, the effect been evident.
All the rest on a
appear to resist attempts
reduce to van—ishing point 01to
increase, some becoming for the -moment rare
or altogether
absent, and, just as their doom has been pronounced,‘ 1eappear—
ing in countless multitudes on the same sites.‘
_
_
_
_
”.
_
The survey of the sea and its
the1€fOlô,mthe
main ___affords no grounds
pessimistic views,
the
contrary, conduces to relian0e on the resourcesï0f
.
which we mean Divine Providence) in th1svastaæaGeelations of men may weave their; theories andp10poundtheu
_
generalizati0ns, but century afte1centurytheoœamcplats
‘
and animals maintain their f=wndanœamddemonsüaæth611
'idèpendenœ of all
ON FOOD-FISHES.
25
the Channel, and the incursions of the eastern boats “on
the west, in addition to the local population.
The wonder,
perhaps, is lessened when we consider that for ve» or six
hundred years at least the limited area of the estuary of the
Thames has been persistently shed for shrimps by man, and Ï
that his nets haVe simultaneously killed the young soles, plaice
and dabs throughout this long period without, up
to this date,
affecting in any marked manner the prevalence of; either
crustaceans or shes.
The independence of nature in the sea
and man’s helplessness are further shown in connection with
the swarms of dog—shes that occasionally oCcur in the northwest and in the south, and which ruin his captured shes and
nets.
Step by step we have thus briey passed under review the
'
;
whole series—from minute oating plants and invertebrates to
__
shes,‘ and nd that they constitute a complex cycle, linked
together in intricate b0nds, indissoluble by any agency man ‘
can devise.
Even in the most insignicant group, the Opela—
tions of nature are on a scale which forbids the poss1b1hty0f
human intervention.
Only in certain species exposedb}the
_
tide or which frequent shallow water and are easily opaated©
by man’s agency, or are under special conditions indeép“ wate1,
has, the effect been evident.
All the rest on a
appear to resist attempts
reduce to van—ishing point 01to
increase, some becoming for the -moment rare
or altogether
absent, and, just as their doom has been pronounced,‘ 1eappear—
ing in countless multitudes on the same sites.‘
_
_
_
_
”.
_
The survey of the sea and its
the1€fOlô,mthe
main ___affords no grounds
pessimistic views,
the
contrary, conduces to relian0e on the resourcesï0f
.
which we mean Divine Providence) in th1svastaæaGeelations of men may weave their; theories andp10poundtheu
_
generalizati0ns, but century afte1centurytheoœamcplats
‘
and animals maintain their f=wndanœamddemonsüaæth611
'idèpendenœ of all