250 MALACOPTERYGII. GADID^. 



and of good flavour, easily separated into flakes, 

 wholesome, and easy of digestion. They inhabit 

 for the most part the cold and temperate seas, 

 a very few only being found in fresh waters. 

 The northern Atlantic is the great home of the 

 Family, few reaching to the tropical regions, and 

 scarcely any wandering into the Pacific or Indian 

 Oceans. 



Genus Gab us. (Linn.) 



The Cods proper, (including the Haddock, but 

 not the Whiting,) are distinguished by the follow- 

 ing marks. The long dorsal is divided into three 

 distinct portions, of which the first is triangular ; 

 the anal is divided into two ; the ventrals are 

 small, slender and pointed, placed beneath the 

 pectorals; the caudal is straight-edged, or slightly 

 hollowed. The chin is furnished with a small 

 beard (cirrus) at the point. Five species of the 

 genus as thus restricted are taken on our own 

 shores, and none in greater plenty than the most 

 valuable of them all, (perhaps of all fishes,) the 

 Common Cod, {Gadus morrhua, Linn.) It attains 

 three or four feet in length, and a depth of eight 

 or nine inches ; Mr. Yarrell mentions one which 

 weighed GOlbs. ; and Pennant speaks of another, 

 caught at Scarborough, of 781bs. The colour of 

 the upper parts is a dull olive-brown, obscurely 

 marked with yellow, fading to pure white beneath ; 

 the lateral line is white. There are two very dis- 

 tinct varieties, one of which has a sharp taper 

 muzzle, the other a thick, rounded one ; the 

 former is darker in hue, and affects the southern 

 coast. 



