GEN. MORRHUA. COMMON COD. 181 



This is one of the most extensive families of our 

 native fishes, and also one of the most useful to 

 man. The most important species are appropriated 

 to the more northern latitudes ; and as the British 

 islands are situated within what is called, in refer- 

 ence to geographical distribution, their metropolis, 

 or chief place of resort, we have our full share of 

 the benefits to be derived from them. They may 

 be known by having the eyes placed one on each 

 side of the head ; the ventral fins separate, jugular, 

 and pointed; the jaws and front of the vomer 

 armed with teeth. The body is covered with scales, 

 but these are of small size, sometimes scarcely per- 

 ceptible, and are inserted, as it were, beneath the 

 cuticle ; they are therefore closely adherent, never 

 coming off" to the touch like those of the Clupeidae, 

 and they are not unfrequently covered with an 

 unctuous secretion. All the fins are soft, rather 

 thick and fleshy, being covered with the common 

 skin of the body ; most of them voluminous, espe- 

 cially the hinder dorsal and anal. The caudal is 

 not large, and commonly straight or convex at the 

 hinder extremity. 



Gen. LXXIII. Morrhua. — Dorsal fins three in 

 number, the first triangular ; anals two ; chin with 

 one barbule. 



(Sp. 147.) M. vulgaris. Common Cod. This is 

 by far the largest member of the genus, and is a 

 fish almost universally known in cold and temperate 

 climates, it is so generally distributed, and exten- 

 sively captured as an article of commerce. Its most 



