378 MSHES. 



more yellow in hue, and often spotted with brick -red. 

 This fish occurs on all our coasts, and seems to approach 

 the land early in the year for spawning purposes. It feeds 

 on the ground, the barbel, like the tongue of snakes, help- 

 ing; it to find and investis-ate the crustaceans on which it 

 preys. Cunningham gives an interesting account of the 

 observations recorded by Sars. The cod grows to a weight 

 of 80 lbs. 



This almost equally familiar fish has the lateral line 

 black instead of white, the barbel shorter, and a conspicu- 

 ous black blotch on either side, which shares 

 with that on the dory the honour of associa- 

 tion with the apostle Peter. In our waters, at any rate, 

 the haddock is a smaller fish than the last, rarely exceed- 

 ing a weight of 20 lbs., averaging nearer 5 lbs. On the 

 coast of Iceland, however, I understand that haddock are 

 caught of such enormous weight as to be useless for 

 curing purposes. Like the cod, this species feeds mostly 

 on shell-fish, though Cunningham^ mentions a case of 

 haddocks gorged with herring - spawn. The haddock 

 seems to hug the land throughout the winter months, 

 and spawns in spring. 



One of the commonest fish in the Channel, and almost 



equally abundant on other parts of the British coast, is 



p + the Pout, a fish with many names, among 



"Whiting- which may be mentioned " Bib," " Blain," and 



pout. « Pouting." It grows in our waters to a 



weight of 4 lbs., though it is more often caught weighing 



as many ounces, few fish taking the hook at so early a 



stage. The body is deep ; in colour, brown, with vertical 



bands ; white below. The barbel is jDresent on the lower 



jaw, and there is usually a black spot on the pectoral 



fin. Fond of rocks, sunken wrecks, and like "marks," 



these fish wander but little from place to place, and I have 



1 Marketable Marine Fishes, p. 152. 



