WOLF-FISH. 243 



as well as in Norway and Sweden, this fish is not unfrequently 

 brought to the market, where its flesh is said to be well 

 esteemed, although its general aspect has but little to recom- 

 mend it. 



The Wolf-fish is in fact a gigantic Shanny, with most of the 

 characters of the latter greatly exaggerated. It does not permit 

 itself indeed to be left exposed by the ebbing of the tide 

 nor does it seek shelter in the hole of a rock; but it possesses 

 pugnacious habits of a formidable sort, and its power to 

 display them renders it no despicable opponent. Its eagerness 

 for food is great. Crabs are easily crushed and swallowed. 

 It finds but little difficulty in breaking to pieces and swallowing 

 the shells of shell-fish, or otherwise it swallows them whole. 

 It is said that it has been known to lay hold of the anchor 

 of a ship, and while the bite was with a grating sound, evident 

 scratches on the iron were made by the teeth. It was a less 

 efibrt in the individual that was caught within our own 

 knowledge, that it bit asunder a stick held to it, although as 

 stout as a man's finger; and therefore we need not question 

 the accuracy of Lister when he tells us that in three examples 

 he had known caught at Scarborough, the teeth were found 

 broken through their substance. 



It swims with some rapidity, and resists with violence efforts 

 that are made to catch it. Its time of spawning is in May 

 and June. The people of Greenland employ its skin in forming 

 bags and other useful articles. 



Dr. Fleming appears to limit the length of this fish to 

 about three feet, but it is said on other authority that it 

 sometimes reaches to more than twice that size. The specimen 

 we describe did not exceed two feet nine inches. The first 

 half of the body stout and round, growing more slender and 

 compressed behind the vent. Belly prominent, and the vent 

 at about the middle of the length. Head large, elevated, with 

 a prominence on the top, the profile descending rather suddenly 

 to the mouth; the lips fleshy, with furrows; teeth conical, 

 irregular, loose in their attachment. Eyes at half of the 

 distance between the top of the head and mouth; nostrils on 

 a prominent process. Regular furrows diverging from the eye, 

 and numerous wrinkles on the cheeks. The dorsal fin begins 

 a little anterior to the root of the pectoral, the first rays 



