THE COD FAMILY. 287 



Colonel Montagu, an acute and observant naturalist, as 

 early as 1808, described in minute detail a small fish which he 

 designated the Silvery Gade or Gadus argenteolus. It was 

 caught off the shore of South Devonshire, and as the observation 

 remained uncorroborated for many years by other British 

 ichthyologists, the authenticity of the colonel's description, in 

 spite of his well-merited reputation for accuracy, was called in 

 question. No less than fifty-six years after, however, the 

 shoemaker-naturalist, Thomas Edward, forwarded to Couch a 

 specimen of a little fish for identification, and this turned out 

 on examination to be no less than Montagu's midge or Gadus 

 argenteolus. But, meanwhile, Couch had discovered the little 

 mackerel-midge which was denominated Couchia glanca by 

 Thompson. The two forms were evidently closely allied, but 

 the main difference between them lay in the fact that Mon- 

 tagu's midge had two barbels upon the upper jaw, or three 

 in all, whilst Couch's had four upon the upper jaw, or five in 

 all. 



Cuvier having already separated the rocklings from the true 

 genus Gadus and having formed them into a genus to which he 

 gave the name Motella, the midges evidently were more closely 

 allied to the rocklings than the true gadoids, so a separate 

 genus had to be made for them. To this genus the name of 

 Concilia, was given, so that Montagu's midge became known to 

 scientific men as Couchia argentata, or perhaps preferably as 

 commemorating its discoverer, Couchia Montagui, whilst the 

 five-bearded form was Couchia glauca. 



In 1865, the untiring energies of the Banff naturalist, 

 Edward, resulted in the discovery of yet another midge which 

 was fully described and named by Couch, as Edward's midge 

 or Couchia edwardii. The distinctive title rests upon the 

 number of the barbels, this most recent midge having three 

 barbels on the upper jaw, or four in all. Couch remarks, 

 " Compared with the latter (C. montagui) its shape is more 

 slender, the pectoral fin rather more lengthened and pointed, 

 the ventral fins longer and slender, the cilia on the back, 

 along the edge of the membrane, more extended, apparently 

 more numerous and very fine ; barb on the lower jaw long." 



