80 



POLLACK. 



WHITING POLLACK. 



Aselhis Imitingo-follacTiius, 



■ a Wliiting PollacTc, "WiLLorGHBY; p. 167. 



Gade pollaclc, . Lacepede. Risso. 



Gadus 2)ollachius, LiNN^us. Bloch; pi. 68. 



" DOXOTAN; pi. 7. 



Merlangus foUaclnus, Flejiixg; Br. Animals, p. 195. 



" " Jenyxs; Manual, p. 446. 



" " Taurell ; Br. Fishes, vol. ii, p. 253. 



Gadus pollachius, Gunthek; Cat. Br. M., vol. iv, p. 338, 



The Pollack is one of our commonest fishes, and is found 

 on all our coasts where the nature of the ground is 

 suitable to its habits; but it becomes more scarce in the 

 extreme north of Scotland. It is also one of the few species 

 of this family that is met with in the Mediterranean, but 

 according to Risso it is not abundant in that sea. 



Its haunts are at no great distance from land, and it prefers 

 to keep amidst roiigh and rocky ground, where it lies in wait 

 on that side against which the tide happens to be flowing, 

 and, advancing from which, it is prepared to seize whatever 

 prey may come within its sight. It wanders from one station 

 to another, and if a considerable number are found together, 

 it is that they are drawn together by the attraction of prey, 

 the motions of which they follow with eagerness. They then 

 swim at a good distance from the bottom, and rise or fall as 

 they find occasion, by which it happens that they become 

 entangled in the trammel nets which are set near the ground; 

 and again it is common to see them in rapid action close to 



