476 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



The cavitj' of the abdomen extends back to a line 

 with the 6tli — 9th rays in the first anal fin, or about 

 half-way along the body behind the eyes, or almost 

 twice the length of the head from the tip of the snout. 

 To this point in the hind part of the bottom of the 

 cavity the left lobe of the liver extends on the left 

 side, and on the right side the posterior p;irt of the 

 intestinal coil, which is double only in front. The 

 intestine runs up\\ards from the pylorus, with its nu- 

 mer(jus appendages", under the anterior part of the 

 stomach to the right, above the rounded middle lobe 

 of the liver, wliere it curves backwards, ;ind then runs 

 straio^ht to the end of the abdominal cavitv and for- 

 ward to the antei'ior corner of the latter, in about a 

 line with the insertion of the pectoral fins. At this 

 point it again bends sharply backwards, to the right 

 of the stomach and finally under this organ, to the 

 anal aperture, which has the bottom of the stomach 

 just in front of it. Between the first bend of the in- 

 testine and the anterior part of the stomacli lies tlie 

 gall-bladder, and behind the latter, between the coil of 

 the intestine and the hind part of the stomach, the 

 spleen. Botli are oblong, the former with rounded ends, 

 the latter more pointed at the extremities. In a female 

 445 nun. long we find the length of the gall-bladder 

 to Ije 25 mm., and of the spleen 24 mm.; in a male 

 453 mm. long the length of the former is 24 mm., 

 and of the latter 34 mm. The ovaries of the females 

 {"h [1. 1(1 lit a' [breeches] as they are called Ijy the fishermen) 

 together form an X-shaped cross, with the tumid point 

 of union situated in the anal region, and the anterior 

 ends considerably elongated during the spawning-season. 

 The testes of the males {"kruset" [ci'ape]) are long and 

 lobate at the spawning-season, like bands arranged in 

 folds as in a frill. The air-bladder is white, but like 

 tlie mothcr-of-peai'l iicritoneuni, covered with ])lack 

 ])igment, ainl has its tliin r(jof firmly attached to the 

 transvei'se jtrocesses of the spine almost throughout the 

 length of the abdominal cavity. Its broad, convex, 

 anterior end lies just behind the diaphragm, and sends 

 out on each side a tubular process which runs forward 

 to the diaphragm and rises like a vermiform blind sac 

 by the side of the anterior portion of the kidnej^ The 



urinary l^ladder is fairl)- large and saccate, and is 

 furnished on each side, or on oidy one side of^he 

 urethra with a smaller, ])ut also saccate, secondary 

 bladder. It opens in common with the sexual organs 

 behind the vent, in the females just in front of a little, 

 conical papilla, and in the males at the point of a 

 similar papilla. 



Hermaphrodites of the Cod are sometimes met with. 

 J. A. Smith descinbes two*, the first with both ovaries 

 fully developed, the second with tlie left ovary larger 

 than the right. In both specimens the testes were de- 

 veloped in front of and beside the right ovary, united 

 by ligaments to the latter, and, in part at least, with 

 tubular canals opening into it. 



The colour of this species is highly variable; but 

 the general coloration, which applies to almost all the 

 varieties, is as follows. The upper parts of the bodj'' 

 are in general dark ash-gray or olive-gra}', with dense, 

 yellow or brownish, I'ound spots, which are ^vanting on 

 the anterior part of the head and more scattered down 

 the sides. The lower parts of the body are whitish, 

 Avithout spots. All the vertical fins are gray, with more 

 or less distinct, dark spots, which sometimes form trans- 

 verse bands. The pectoral and ventral fins are lighter 

 and plain, the latter being often of the same colour as 

 the belly. In old and large Cod the iris is silvery, in 

 younger ones yellowish, and in the dai-k olive-green or 

 red variety more or less reddish. 



The different colour-varieties — due to the different 

 phases of light and colour in different localities, to the 

 different nature of the bottom or of their food — have 

 received separate names, and may be distributed among 

 three groups: 



1. The Great Cod {Stortorsk) or Skrej (PI. XXIII, 

 fig. 1) also called Kabiljo'', VdlffUd forsk, and, 

 when young. Small Cod (Smdtorsk) Avith claj^ey 

 ground-colour, gray or l)lackish, with dark 

 grayish bi'own or blackish spots al)ove and 

 lighter, brown or yellow spots at and Ijelow 

 the lateral line. 



2. The Grass Cod {Grdsforsk, PI. XXII, fig. 2), olive 

 or greenish gray, thickl}' strcAvn with grayish 

 l)rown or brownish spots. When this variety 



" KiioYKH couiitfil 207 pyloric appendages, all closely uiiileil by connective tissue into larger and smaller bunches. 



'' Journ. of Anat. and Pliys., vol. IV (1869 — 70) p. 250. 



' Kabiljo (Kabelj(iauw) or Backdjo (Backeljauue) is an old Dutch name for the Cod, wliich is perhaps connected with (lie Latin 

 hacnhnii. Cf. bacclius, above. Another ancient name of the- Cod is the Dutch doffge, which is the origin of the name of the Dogger Bank 

 in the Nortli Sea. 



