9^ LING. 



organ, a tiwn of the hook had brought the point again through 

 the substance to pass through the bottom in the same manner, 

 and again through the opposite side, so that, bv drawing the 

 whole together, it left only a small cavity iiee, in which 

 condition the line was bitten through, yet the fish escaped 

 only to swallow another bait, with which it was caught. 



As might be supposed from the multitudes obtained this is a 

 prolific fish, and the roe of a large one has been known to 

 weigh eleven pounds. When about half developed, the lobes 

 of roe, as well as those of the Cod and Whiting, when fried 

 or roasted are thought a delicious dish. 



The Ling, as its name signifies, is of a more lengthened 

 form than any other of this family, and the shape, which is 

 generally uniform, only becomes somewhat more slender and 

 compressed towards the tail. Head flattened on the top, slightly 

 compressed at the sides; upper jaw reaching a little beyond the 

 lower; numerous teeth in each; palate encompassed with teeth 

 of different lengths. Eye moderate; a barb at the under jaw, 

 and I have seen an example where there were two barbs. Vent 

 nearer the tail than the origin of the second dorsal fin. Scales 

 scarcely perceptible; lateral line descending gradually beyond 

 the beginning of the second dorsal, and from thence straight. 

 Of the two dorsal fins the first begins above the middle of the 

 pectoral, and rises but little above the line of the second, the 

 origin of which is close to the termination of the former. The 

 second dorsal and anal run evenly close to the tail, where they 

 become a little expanded. Tail round, as also is the pectoral 

 fin, and in some degree also the ventral. Colour of the back 

 light or yellowish brown, mottled with dull yellow at the sides, 

 belly white. Dorsal and anal fins and the tail edged Avith white. 

 A Ling five feet and a half long has weighed about seventy 

 pounds; but 1 have been informed of an example caught near 

 the Scilly Islands, which weighed one hundi-ed and twenty-four 

 pounds. It was offered to the gentleman who informed me of 

 the circumstance, at the price of a shilling, but this was before 

 the opening of a railroad in that direction. 



The first dorsal fin has fourteen rays, the second sixty-six; 

 anal sixty- two; pectoral twenty; ventral five; 



