WHITING. 75 



immediately into deep water beyond the reach of the fishermen, 

 and only some very small ones remained. The fact that several 

 sorts of fishes, although swimming at the depth of fifty fathoms, 

 are speedily sensible of changes in the wind and weather, and 

 even shew that they anticipate those changes by their motions 

 and appetite, is well known to fishermen, and is proved in 

 innumerable instances, even when such change is the opposite 

 of what is here mentioned. 



But there are other causes which incite this fish to change 

 its quarters, and it appears to be rather in pursuit of prey 

 than from sociability of disposition that they sometimes collect 

 together in great numbers, which they usually do in sandy 

 bays, or at least on level ground at no great distance from 

 land; and when the young of several sorts of fishes abound, 

 as they do especially towards the end of summer and in autumn. 

 Whitings are busily eager in following them in all their 

 movements. It is then also that they especially become the 

 prey of the fisherman, whose most successful time is early in 

 the morning and in the evening. The common mussel, or a 

 slice of the cuttle (Sepia,) are temptations which cannot be 

 resisted, but a preference would be given to a living prey, 

 which is seized with indiscriminating voracity. From the 

 stomach of a "Whiting that weighed four pounds were taken 

 four full-grown Pilchards. 



The A^'hiting is in its best condition when the action begins 

 which enlarges the roe, and which takes place between 

 November and the early months of spring; but it suffers less 

 than most others of the Gadoid family from the exhaustion 

 caused by this process of nature, and hence it is in a con- 

 dition for the table at all times. Few sea fishes are in higher 

 esteem as food, and especially where the stomach requires what 

 is easy of digestion; but it quickly sufiers change, and there- 

 fore when delay occurs in the sale they are salted and dried, 

 in which condition, when skilfully done, they are much valued. 

 Willonghby says that in some parts of the continent an infusion 

 of tumeric was employed to stain (yellow) these dried fish, in 

 order to give them a richer appearance, and with the pretence 

 also to make them more palatable. The smaller examples, 

 when salted and dried, have received the name of buckorn. 

 The abundance of Whitings has Avithin a few years become 



