214 MALACOP. SUB-ERACH. COD FAMILY. 



of Forth, and brought to the Edinburgh market. 

 It begins, however, to appear among the Orkney 

 Islands, as on the banks off the Burgh of Birsay ; 

 and in the neighbourhood of Shetland it is plentiful, 

 forming a considerable article in the fish-trade of the 

 Islanders. It occasionally reaches the London mar- 

 kets in boats from the north ; but this is rather an 

 accidental occurrence than otherwise, as its flesh is 

 not of such a quality as to create a demand for it 

 there. It is not much eaten any where in a fresh 

 state, as the flesh is firm, tough, and unsavory ; but 

 it is in good estimation when dried, swelling much 

 in boiling, and parting into very thick flakes.* To 

 the north of Shetland the Tusk becomes still more 

 abundant, frequenting the coasts of Norway as far 

 as Finmark, the Faroe Islands, the south and west 

 of Iceland, &c. Fabricius has inserted it in his 

 Greenland Catalogue, but with the mark attached 

 which indicates that it did not fall under his own 

 personal observation. It approaches the land in the 

 beginning of the year to spawn. It prefers deep 

 water with a rocky bottom, and is therefore not 

 easily captured. The circumstance of its stomach 

 being usually found empty, has given rise to the 

 saying that it lives on the juice of sea-weeds. In 

 severe storms immense quautities are often cast 

 ashore on some of the northern islands. Three feet 

 and a half are the largest dimensions it has been 

 known to attain; in general it is from eighteen 

 inches to a foot. 



* Low's Fauna Orcadensis, p. 200. -' 



