GAVIDM. 289 



? Morhia minuta, Storer, Fish. Mass. p. 127 ; De Kay, New York Fauna, Fish. 

 p. 277, pi. xliv, f. 141. 



Brachygradus minutus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1862, p. 280. 



Gadulus minutus, Malm, p. 484. 



Bower, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 72, pi. cxxxix. 



B. vii, D. 12-15/19-25/17-22, P. 13-16, V. 6, A. 25-29/17-21, C. 26. 



Length of head 4j to 4, of caudal fin <o\, height of body 4| to 4| in the total 

 length. Eye diameters 3 to 3 in the length of the head, 3/4 of a diameter from 

 the end of the snout, and 1 to 1^ apart. Snout obtuse. Jaws of about the same 

 length anteriorly, the maxilla reaches posteriorly to beneath the middle of the 

 eye : the snout rather overhangs the upper jaw. Barbel on the chiu, but scarcely 

 so long as the orbit. Teeth cardiform, with an enlarged outer row in the upper 

 jaw. Fins the first dorsal commences above the root of the pectoral, its height 

 equals two-thirds of that of the body, the last ray short and connected with the 

 base of the second dorsal, the second and third rays of which equal two-fifths of 

 the length of the base of the fin, it is connected at its base with the third dorsal, 

 which does not extend on to the caudal. Anal commences below the last rays of 

 the first dorsal and is continued to opposite the end of the second dorsal. Second 

 anal similar to the third dorsal. Caudal slightly forked or emarginate. Ventral 

 inserted some little distance before the base of the pectoral, its two outer rays 

 elongated. Pectoral rather above half the length of the head. Scales small, 

 about ninety rows. Lateral-line very slightly bent, becoming straight beneath 

 the second third of the second dorsal fin. Vent situated below the last rays of 

 the first dorsal fin. Colours greenish or gray along the back, becoming lighter 

 on the sides and beneath, in some large examples there exists a trace of gray at 

 the base of the pectoral fin. 



Winther places G. luscus as a variety of this fish, but G. minutus is not nearly 

 so deep in the body, while its vent is placed below the last rays of the first dorsal 

 fin, and the free portion of its tail is more extended. I have not had the oppor- 

 tunity of investigating both sexes of these two species of fish. 



Names. Bower or poor-cod. Skelchie or skelach, Aberdeen (Sim). Bibben-pout, 

 Cornwall. Le gade capelan, French. 



Habits. If the bib and the power inhabit the same ledge of rock, they are 

 said not to mingle, while the latter species keeps to the lower level in smaller 

 schools, are not so constant to one locality but are mostly found on a hard bottom. 

 Thompson observes that most of his Irish examples have been captured on a soft 

 oozy bottom, and some in the middle and deepest part of Belfast Bay. They live 

 on small crustaceous animals. In the Baltic they are said to be the forerunner of 

 the haddock and larger species of the cod family. Thompson has chiefly found 

 Crustacea in their stomachs : in one was a full grown Bagurus beruhardus, and 

 fragments of marine plants have also occurred. 



Means of capture. Line-fishing. They frequently obtain access into crab- 

 pots : also trawling near rocky ground which they frequent. 



Baits. The same as for the bib. 



Uses. As bait. Of no value as food. 



Habitat. From Scandinavia along the Atlantic and North Sea coasts of Great 

 Britain and Europe, very common in the Mediterranean : said by Pennant to be 

 sometimes a nuisance at Marseilles as on its arrival other fishes disappear. Orkney 

 and Zetland, two specimens obtained in Kirkwall in August, 1851 (W. Baikie) : 

 Banffshire small and scarce (Edward) : Moray Firth abundant (G. Harris, Zool. 

 1854, p. 4261) : Aberdeen (Sim): St. Andrew's common (Mcintosh), but not 

 mentioned by Parnell from the Firth of Forth : on the Devonshire coast frequently 

 taken with the hook and in crab-pots (Montagu). Coast of Sussex along the 

 southern shores to Cornwall, where it is common. 



In Ireland it has been obtained on the N.E., the S. and the W. coasts. 

 Thompson received three captured in Sept. 1835, in Belfast Bay, all being less 

 than four inches in length. He obtained another in Belfast market in Feb. 1836, 

 and in fact, as he observes, " The species is permanently resident on the shores 



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