SARDINE, aupea sardina, a fish of the same genus with the Herring and pilchard, smaller than the pilchard; abundant in the Mediterranean, and found also in the Atlantic ocean, although not so far n. as the British shores. It is much esteemed for its flavor, and sardines preserved in oil are exported in large quantities from some of the Mediter ranean ports. But the "sardines" of the west coast of France, which are largely imported into Britain, arc generally not true sardines, but young sprats—the garvies of the firth of Forth—and sometimes young herring.
Sardines appear in shoals on the coasts of the Mediterranean at particular seasons, herrings and pilchards on those of Britain. The sardine fishery on the coast of Provence is chiefly in the months of May, June, and Jytly; but the fishery for sprats, which are cured as sardines, and sold under that name on the coast of Bretagne and elsewhere in the west of France, takes place in the winter months. The quantity of both kinds cured is so great as to amount in value to 3,000,000 or 4,000,000 francs annually. about £120,000 to £160.000. They ars exported to the most distant parts of the world, cured with oil in tin boxes, forming a much esteemed delicacy', and at the same time a most wholesome article of food. To cure them in this they are first carefully washed in the sea, then sprinkled with fine salt, and after a few hours the head, gills, etc., are removed; they are then washed again, and spread out on willow branches or wire-work exposed to the sun and wind if the weather is dry, but in damp and rainy weather to a current of air under cover. They are next put into boiling oil,
in which they remain for a short time, and when they are taken out the. oil is drained away from them as much as possible, and they are put into the tin boxes of which the shape and appearkuice are so familiar to every one. The boxes being filled with sardines are filled up witTI oil, the lid is soldered on, and they are placed for a short time in boiling water or exposed to hot steam. The boxes which have leaked or have burst in boiling are rejected. and those which remain sound are now ready for the market.
In the south of France sardines are sometimes cured in red wine, and those so cured are called sardines anehoisees, or anchovied sardines.
In 1875 the " Cornish sardine company" was formed at Falmouth for the purpoSe of preserving pilchards in oil after the manner above described. The result is a delicacy hardly to bedistinguished from French sardines. The company is thriving; and thus, it is to be hoped, tons of hitherto waste food will be utilized.
Several species of small dupeide much resembling the sardine are found in different parts of the world, and are used in the same way as the sardine of the Mediterranean. One species frequents the southern and eastern coast of Ceylon in such vast shoals that 400,000 have been taken at a single haul of the nets in a little bay; and when the shoal approached the shore the broken water became as smooth as if a sheet of ice had been floating below the surface.