THE COD FAMILY. 383 



It is taken in more northern waters of a length of at least 

 3 feet and a weight of 50 lbs., but examples taken off our 

 north coasts — it does not occur in the south — average 

 nearer 1 5 lbs. It seems uncertain whether this fish should 

 find a place in the Irish list. 



In the three rocklings we have shore-fishes that feed, 



mostly at night, on small fish and crustaceans, lurking 



Three- during the day among the stones, and fre- 



bearded quently getting left behind in shallow rock- 



oc mg. pQQJg ^y. ^-^Q receding tide. The largest of 



them, the Three-bearded Rockling, is a light-brown fish 

 with black spots, and has two barbels on the upper and 

 one on the lower lip. It a^Dpears to attain a length of 20 

 inches, but the largest I ever hooked, off Hastings pier, 

 measured just 9 inches. This fish, locally known as the 

 " Three - bearded Gade," spawns in summer. It is its 

 young that are known as " Mackerel - midge " ; they are 

 silvery and without spots, and a favourite food of herring, 

 mackerel, and other surface-feeding fish. 



The Four-bearded Rockling has one barbel more than 



the last, the upper jaw carrying three of these appendages. 



Four- *^® lower one. It is brown, and has no spots 



bearded of any kind. The small dorsal fin of this fish 



oc mg. .g observed to vibrate rapidly, not unlike that 



of the j)ipe- fishes. Like the other rocklings, it is a 



favourite in the marine aquarium. It spawns in summer. 



Yet one more "beard," five in all, has the Five-bearded 

 Rockling, four on the upper and the usual single one on 

 Five- ^^^® lower jaw. The body, which is of a uni- 



bearded form brown or stone colour, is unspotted. This 

 oc mg. ^gj^ ^g known down in Cornwall as the " Brown 

 Whistler," the reason of which sobriquet 1 was never able 

 to learn. It frequents shallow water, feeds on small crus- 

 taceans, mostly at night, and in summer deposits its eggs 



