Common Codfish 



Common Codfish 



Gadiis callarias Linuczus 



This important and well-known fish is found in the North 

 Atlantic and on both coasts, south to France and Virginia. From 

 the earliest settlement of America the cod has been the most 

 valuable of our Atlantic Coast fishes. Indeed, the codfish of the 

 Banks of Newfoundland was one of the principal inducements 

 which led Ehgland to establish colonies in America, and in the 

 records of early voyages are many references to the abundance 

 of codfish along our shores. It is even claimed that English ves- 

 sels visited the fishing grounds near Iceland as early as 141s, and 

 that the Basques knew the Banks of Newfoundland centuries 

 before the discovery of America by Columbus. So important 

 was the 'cod in the early history of this country that it was 

 placed upon the colonial seal of Massachusetts, and it was also 

 placed upon a Nova Scotian bank-note, with the legend "Success 

 to the Fisheries." 



The cod is omnivorous, and feeds upon various kinds of 

 animals, including crustaceans, moUusks and small fishes, and even 

 browses upon Irish moss and other aquatic vegetation. All sorts 

 of things have been found in cods' stomachs, such as scissors, 

 oil-cans, finger-rings, rocks, potato parings, corn cobs, rubber 

 dolls, pieces of clothing, the heel of a boot, as well as many 

 new or rare specimens of mollusks and crustaceans. The belief 

 that the stones are taken in by the cod as ballast, and that the 

 finger-rings, boot-heels, etc., indicate that the cod is a "man- 

 eater," are by no means necessary conclusions. 



513 



