84 



COALFISH. 



RAL'NIXG POLLACK. 



AspJkis niger, WiLLorGHBY; Table L., p. 168. 



Gadiis carhonarius, Ltnn.^tts. 



Gade colin, Lacepede. Eisso. 



Gadiis carhonarius, Donovan; pi. 13. But his figure is faulty, 



not only in the colour, but in placing the 

 dorsal and anal fins too far separate from 

 each other. 

 Merlangus carhonarius, Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 196. 



Jenyns; Manual, p. 466. 

 Yarbell; Br. Fishes, vol. ii, p. 250. 

 Gadus virens (?) Gunthep. ; Cat. Br. M , vol. iv, p. 339. 



Whkx we seek for information from different sources on the 

 natural history of fishes, we are liable to be misled by finding 

 that different kinds are sometimes called by the same name, 

 and more frequently that one species shall bear a multiplicity 

 of names, even in districts not very distant from each other. 

 In the history of our "Fishes of the British Islands" we have 

 found it generally convenient to omit all reference to these 

 local designations, as having little meaning attached to them, 

 and which we should be well pleased to find discarded from 

 the memory. But for once we depart from our rule that we 

 may record an instance of these variations of denomination: 

 and it seems the more appropriate in this instance, as it forms 

 almost an integral portion of the history of the Coalfish, which 

 is thus more diversely characterized than any other with which 

 we are acquainted. In Ireland it bears a different name 

 according to its stage of growth: the very young being known 

 as Gilpins, from which they grow to be Blockan and Greylords; 

 and when of full size they are Glashan, or Glossan, and Glassin. 

 Moulrush and Black Pollack are other names, with Glassock; 

 Billets and Billards in Yorkshire; Sey Pollack, Podley, Sillock, 

 Cooth, Pittock, Sethe, Colmey, Harbin, Coalsey, Cudden, and 

 Green Cod. AVilloughby says it is called Rawlin Pollack in 

 Cornwall, Avhich is grounded in nothing more than error of 



