ro 



BIB. 



WHITING POUT. BLENS. BLINDS. 



Asellus liiscus, Willoughby ; p. 169, table L. 



Gad'us luscus, Linn^us. Bloch; pi. 166. 



" " Donovan; pi. 19. 



Gade tacaud, Lacepede. 



Morrhua lusca, Cxjvier. 



" " Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 191. 



" " Yarrell; Br. F., vol. ii. p. 237. 



Gadiis luscus, Jenyns; Mauual, p. 442. 



" " Gunthek; Cat. British Museum, 



vol. iv, p. 335. 



The Bib is known along the whole of the coasts of the 

 United Kingdom, but is scarcely common in the north of Scot- 

 land and Ireland. On the other hand, it is found in the south 

 and west of the last named country and England through the 

 year, and at times, especially in the autumn and winter, it is 

 even abundant. Its chief resort is in rocky places, where it 

 finds its congenial food in the multitude of crustaceous animals 

 and small fishes which frequent such neighbourhoods; but 

 sometimes they pass into gullies and recesses where the bottom 

 is irregular or formed into pits. In general the food is sought 

 for at an higher elevation than is usual with the Cod and Had- 

 dock, and consequently what is found in the stomach is of a 

 different kind. 



The spawn is shed towards the end of w^inter, and, perhaps, 

 generally later than in several others of this family of fishes. 

 Considerable numbers are sometimes caught with a line, but 

 although good as food, they do not stand on equality with the 

 Cod or Whiting, and they are supposed to suffer decomposition 

 more speedily than these fishes. When drawn up with a line 

 it is common to find the transparent covering of the eye inflated 



