180 



GADIDE. 



SUBBRACHIAL 

 MALACOPTERYGII. 



GADID£. 



THE LING. 



Lota molva, Cuvier, Regne An. t. ii. p. 333. 



Asellus longus, Willughby, p. 175, L. 2. 

 Gadus molva, Linn^us. Bloch, pt. ii. pi. 69. 



,, ,, Ling, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 262. 



,, Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 102. 

 Molva vulgaris. Common Ling, Flem. Brit. An. p. 192, sp. 82. 



Generic Characters. — In addition to the elongated body, with two dorsal fins 

 and one anal fin, possessed by the species of Merlucius last described, may be 

 added, chin with one or more barbules. 



The Ling is a very valuable species, scarcely less so 

 than tlie Coalfish or the Cod. Large quantities are taken 

 among the Western Islands, in the Orkneys, and on the 

 Yorkshire coast; in Cornwall, and the Scilly Islands; 

 and may be traced nearly all round the Irish coast. 

 The fishing for them is by hand-lines and long-lines ; 

 and besides a portion that is consumed fresh, the fish are 

 split from head to tail, cleaned, salted in brine, washed, 

 and dried : but the demand generally falls short of the 

 quantity cured, and the hardy fishermen are but poorly 

 requited. The ports of Spain are the markets supplied ; 

 and so valuable an article of commerce was Ling considered 

 formerly, that an act for regulating the price of Ling, Cod, 

 &c. was passed as early as the reign of Edward the Third. 



