254 MALACOPTERYGII. — GADIDiE. 



ture than in other fishes. The deep orange colour 

 of the flesh of the Salmon and Char depends on a 

 peculiar oil diffused through the cellular sheaths 

 of the fibres. The muscular fasciculi [bundles] 

 of fishes are usually short and simple ; and very 

 rarely converge to be inserted by tendinous chords. 

 The proportion of myonine [or muscular tissue] 

 is greater in fishes than in other Vertebrata ; 

 the irritability of its fibres is considerable, and is 

 long retained. Fishermen take advantage of this 

 property, and induce rigid muscular contraction, 

 long after the usual signs of life have disappeared, 

 by transverse cuts and immersion of the muscles 

 in cold water : this operation, by which the firm- 

 ness and specific gravity of the muscular tissue 

 are increased, is called * crimping.'"* 



The Cod is observed to thrive in the confinement 

 of ponds, which are either naturally or artificially 

 hollowed in some parts of our rocky shores, and 

 into which the sea has access at high tide. Other 

 marine fishes, such as Haddock and Whiting, dif- 

 ferent sorts of Flat-fish and Skate, are also kept 

 in these vivaria, and found to do well. They are 

 fed with Sprats, the young and unsaleable of other 

 fishes, shelled mollusca, and any animal offal, all 

 of which is greedily devoured. On the Hebrides, 

 and the adjacent coast of Scotland, there are 

 several marine stews. 



The following description of such a saltwater 

 fish-pond, communicated to the New Sporting 

 Magazine, will be read with interest, as every- 

 thing that illustrates the habits and instincts of 

 marine fishes is valuable. The pond is situated 

 near the Mull of Galloway, on the west coast of 

 * Lect. on Corap. Anat. ii. 169. 



