GEN. MOTELLA. THE ROCKLINQ. 209 



iiesh is of little value, becoming of an unpleasant 

 smell shortly after death, it is seldom an object of 

 pursuit to fishermen. It may, however, be taken 

 with a bait, although, in point of voracity, it ha? 

 little resemblance to the majority of the Gadidae. It 

 seems to be rare in every part of Scotland, but is far 

 from uncommon on the Devonshire and Cornish 

 coasts, as well as at Weymouth and some other 

 places. It is generally distributed round the Irish 

 coasts. 



This is sometimes called the Whistle-fish, and in 

 the absence of any apparent cause for the applica- 

 tion of such a name, Mr. Yarrell ingeniously con- 

 jectures that it is a corrupt substitution for Weasel- 

 fish, as the Rocklings were called MuHela from the 

 days of Pliny down to the present time. 



(Sp.161.) M. quinquecirrata. Five-bearded Rock- 

 ling. About the size of the former, which it greatly 

 resembles ; at one time, indeed, it was considered a 

 mere variety, but most naturalists are now inclined 

 to regard it as distinct. The most obvious difference 

 is the presence of four barbules on the snout, two 

 near the point of the nose, and another pair, nearly 

 double in length, a little way behind. Tlie general 

 colour of the body is dark or olive-bronn, some- 

 times with a bronze lustre, the belly whitish ; an'ci 

 there is generally no trace of spots. The first ray of 

 the rudimentary dorsal is fully three times the length 

 of the succeeding ones, and about one-third the 

 length of the base of the fin. This species is much 

 more plentiful than any of the other Rockliugti, and 







