herling, hirling local.
The name, on the Scottish shore of the Solway Firth, for the fish Salmo albus.
| 1684 R. Sibbald Scotia Illustr. iii. vi. 24 Trachurus. Hunc esse suspicor, qui Dumfrisiensibus nostris Hirling dicitur. 1791 Statist. Acc. Scot., Holywood I. 19 (Jam.) The Cluden abounds in fine burn trouts, some salmon, some sea trout, and herlings. 1793 Ibid., Dumfries V. 132 (Jam.) The river Nith produces salmon, trouts, flounders, pike, eels, and a species somewhat larger than herrings, called hirlings. 1834 Jardine in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club I. No. 2. 51 This fish I consider to be the Salmo albus of Fleming, the Herling or Hirling of the Scotch side of the Solway Frith, the Whiting of the English side. 1861 Act 24 & 25 Vict. c. 109 §4 All migratory fish of the genus salmon, whether known by the names..yellow fin, sprod, herling, whiting..or by any other local name. 1880–4 Day Brit. Fishes II. 85. |
b. Comb., as herling-house, herling-net, etc.
| 1834 Jardine in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club I. No. 2. 51 They are caught..by the stake-nets of small mesh, or, as they are called, herling-houses. 1893 Scot. Leader 10 July 4 Ten men were arrested..on a charge of poaching, herling and small-meshed herling nets being found in their possession. |