when, with very few exceptions, there was a dog-fish secured by every hook. A large cod had also been caught at the same time, but only the strong cartilages and bones of the head, with part of the vertebræ remained, the rest having been swept away by the dog-fish, and this was probably the work of only a few minutes after its capture. But the effects of their rapacity did not extend to their own species in the same situation, the whole of which were hauled in uninjured. These insatiable fish are assisted in their ravages by the sepia or cuttle-fish, which, with their hard mouths, resembling parrots' bills, cut up the mackerel and herrings with great adroitness. The sepiæ are in their turn sometimes attacked by the dog-fish, but they are generally enabled to frustrate attempts of the kind, by ejecting a liquid resembling ink, which, rendering the water turbid and obnoxious, affords them an opportunity of making their escape.

The mackerel first met with off Hastings in the season, which generally commences about the month of March, come from the German Ocean, to which they are supposed to belong, and appear to be of a different species from those caught off Mountsbay, in Cornwall, the latter being longer, with the edges of the pectoral fins of a pink-colour, and not so thick in proportion to the former, which are of less weight, with the edges of the pectoral fins of a blue colour, and are considered of a superior quality.

The mackerel always appear off Mountsbay earlier than those off Hastings, and come from the Atlantic. The mackerel continue off Mountsbay about a month or five weeks, during which time some decked fishing boats from Folkstone, near Dover, proceed thither, and continue until the fish have disappeared. The crews of these boats, under an impression that the mackerel had moved eastward along the coast, have endeavoured repeatedly on their return to meet with them off the Praulpoint, Portland-race, and off the Isle of Wight, without success. But after an interval of about a month, mackerel, corresponding in every respect with those from the Atlantic, appear off Hastings; by which it has been inferred, that, after they have disappeared off Mountsbay, they take a south-east direction until they approach the coast of France, when they proceed to the east or north-east. But as the French fishing boats,

whose range of fishing ground is very extensive, have never, in the interval alluded to, met with the Atlantic mackerel, which, before they make their appearance off this station, are invariably met with off Yarmouth and the Northforeland, this circumstance appears sufficiently conclusive, that these fish proceed north about. Whether they pass through the Pentland Frith, or take a wider circuit in the course of their passage hither, is a point which I must leave to my friends situated more to the northward to determine. The early mackerel are frequently accompanied by a few red mullet (the salmonet of the Mediterranean); and whenever these nearly, if not altogether, equal the mackerel in number, the circumstance is generally the presage of the approach of great shoals of mackerel.

The season for mackerel at Hastings generally terminates about the end of June or the beginning of July, although many have been caught in the middle and latter end of September, corresponding in appearance with those which appear off this place about the commencement of the spring; and as these are taken on the west side of the nets (the general direction or position of which has been already mentioned), it is concluded they are on their return to deep water in the German Ocean, leaving, however, some stragglers behind, which have been met with in the Channel the whole year.

HASTINGS, SUSSEX,
August 1829.

On the Naturalization of the Cashmeer Shawl-Goat in England. By C. T. TOWER, Esq. of Weald Hall, Essex*.

SEVERAL attempts have been made to introduce and to naturalize, in the British Islands, the goat of Cashmeer, that variety of the common goat, or perhaps a peculiar species, the fine wool of which is the material of the so-called Indian shawls.

These fabrics, in fineness of fibre, lightness, and warmth, are

* From vol. xlvi. of the Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. The Society voted its large Gold Medal to Mr Tower for a shawl.

unrivalled by those of any other material. It has, therefore, been considered a very desirable object to introduce the shawlgoat, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the climate of Europe is suitable to it; and whether, under these circumstances, the fine wool given it by nature, as a protection against the winter cold of its own country, will be produced unimpaired in the fineness of its staple.

A few years ago some shawl-goats were introduced into Scotland; but the experiment did not succeed, as they died without any progeny.'

From France two agents were sent to Persia, under the patronage of the Emperor Napoleon, for the purpose of making purchases of goats of the genuine Cashmere breed, in the province of Caspahan. A considerable number of these animals was procured; and although many of them died in their long march to the coast of the Euxine, and in their passage thence by sea to Perpignan, yet a certain number survived, and were brought to Paris by M. Terneau, in the year 1823.

Mr Tower happening at that time to be in Paris, purchased four of them, two males and two females, and succeeded in conveying them safely to his residence in Essex.

The soil of the park at Weald Hall, where they have been kept ever since, is moist, and the situation is much exposed. The animals have, nevertheless, continued in health, and have multiplied rapidly, so that his present flock consists of twentyseven, including the four original ones. Of these latter, a polled female, which was old when purchased by him, has every year produced at least one kid, and has twice had twins. Those individuals of which the horns cross are in Persia esteemed the best; and one of Mr Tower's last-year kids has this peculiarity. They shew no impatience of cold, and are very healthy, requiring only the occasional shelter of a shed in very rough weather. In spring, summer, and autumn, they graze like sheep; and during winter have been fed with hay, and refuse vegetables from the garden; but their favourite food is gorse (Ulex Europaus), which they devour eagerly, without being annoyed by its prickles. They damage young plantations, but not more than other goats or deer will do. They breed very early;

three of Mr Tower's goats this year produced kids before they were themselves a twelvemonth old.

f

A few produce brown wool, but that of far the greater pro portion of the goats is white; and this latter is more valuable than the other.

The coat is a mixture of long coarse hair, and of short fine wool this latter begins to be loose early in April; and is collected easily and expeditiously, by combing the animals two or three times with such a comb as is used for horses' manes. A good deal of the long hair comes off at the same time, but the manufacturer has found no difficulty in separating it. The produce of a male is about four ounces, and of a female about two ounces. Two pounds of wool, as it comes off the goat's back, may be estimated to make one shawl fifty-four inches square. It will therefore require ten goats, male and female, to furnish materials for one shawl,

Mr Tower has this year had three shawls made of his wool, one of which was examined by the Committee of Manufactures. The yarn was spun by Messrs Pease, of Darlington; and was woven by Messrs Miller and Sons of Paisley. Mr Tower's shawl was compared with one made in Scotland, of French shawl-goat wool, to which it was evidently far superior. It was also compared with a shawl of M. Terneau's own make; and was considered by very competent judges to be superior to this also.

On the German Polish for Wood.

WE were the first to publish any accurate information on the French Polish for wood, now become so universally employed, in our Technical Repository, from information derived from Mr Joseph Clement, the celebrated engineer; and have continually added, from time to time, such further particulars thereon as have come to our knowledge.

A considerable quantity of rough Cashmeer wool was imported from India a few years ago, and baffled the attempts of the manufacturers to disentangle the wool from the hair; probably from the wool having become felted, in conveying it from Cashmeer and shipping it from Calcutta.

Our scientific friend, Mr J. I. Hawkins, however, having lately returned from Vienna, where he saw this process performed by an excellent workman in the cabinet-making line, and where it was invented forty years since, has kindly furnished us with such valuable information on their superior method of performing it, that we lose no time in communicating it to our readers.

The wood having been plained flat, and finished with the steel scraper, as in the usual processes for the French polish, has its surface evened as follows: Two pieces of pumice-stone, having been previously rubbed flat, are then to be oiled, and rubbed against each other, until they have acquired an uniform or even surface. The wood is then to be well rubbed with these, first longitudinally, then across, and, finally, in a spiral or circular manner, always obliterating or removing the scratches or marks made by the former rubbing, before finishing the succeeding ones; in this manner the surface of the wood will likewise receive an uniform surface, and will become ready for the application of the varnish.

The Germans never use any other varnish than a rather dilute solution of seed-lac, or shell-lac, in alcohol, for their polish ; and, indeed, the addition of any other material would only injure the great hardness of the lac varnish. If the varnish be required of a lighter colour than usual, in this case the clearest grains of lac ought to be selected in preference.

The varnish is applied in the following manner: A piece of sponge being wetted with the varnish, is to be laid upon five pieces of linen rag, the borders or edges of them being gathered together at the back, to serve as a handle to this rubber. When the varnish has penetrated all through these different thicknesses of linen cloth, a little linseed oil must be applied in the midst of the varnish. The whole extent of one surface of the article to be polished must then be gone over at once with this rubber; the varnish being also applied, first in straight lines, crossing each other, and then in spiral or circular ones, in the same manner as in the evening the surface of the wood; and fresh oil must be applied to the centre of the rubber, whenever a tackiness or adherence of the varnish is beginning to take place. If there are four or five different articles to be polished,