FISHES. 275 



The popular name curront in England is hake, but in the United Statoe the prefix 

 'silver' is generally added, to distinguish it from tl>e speeies of Phycis, whieh are 

 known in the New England states as hakes. It is also freijuently called whiting. 

 New England whiting, or Old England hake. The speeies are all very voracious, and 

 are found in water of moderate depth. 



The eoranion English species is 3Ierlucius vulgaris ; that of the eastern American 

 coast, JMerlucius biUnearis. The American is at once distinguished from the Euroi)ean 

 si)ecies by the larger scales. It ranges from about New York to the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, where it is common, especially in the Bay of Chaleur ; but it has rarely 

 been observed as far north as the Straits of Belle Isle. It has also been taken as 

 far south as latitude 36° or 37°, but at greater depths than in the north. 



A large group of fishes related to the cod-fishes was, for a long time, known 

 through few and rare species, but the deep-sea explorations of recent years have 

 brought to light many members of the same group, and have revealed the fact that the 

 long-known species were rare simply because they were wanderers from their home 

 in the deep, and that they and their kindred are among the most common of the deei> 

 sea fishes. Macrueid^ is a family name conferred on them. They have an elongated 

 body, tapering from the head into a long, very attenuated tail, and the scales are generally 

 rough or spiny ; the head is large, and most have a produced and ridged snout, and 

 cheeks covered by enlarged sub-orbital bones ; a first short and somewhat elevated fin 

 exists near the nape, and generally has the first ray spine-like and prickly ; a long 

 second dorsal, and still larger anal, are confluent with the generally undistinguishable 

 caudal ; the pectorals are normally developed, as are also the ventrals, which are in 

 advance of the former. Though generally much unlike the cod-fish in ap[)earance, 

 their anatomy proves that they are closely related, and there are forms which greatly 

 narrow the gap between the typical representatives of the two families. The longest 

 known species are the Macrurus rupestris and Coryphcenoides norvegicus of the sub- 

 arctic and deep seas. The Coryphwnoides is found occasionally (very rarely) in 

 British seas, but does not appear to have received an English name. In Norway, 

 where it is oftener taken, it is called Berg-lax. 



Sub-Order XV. — Heterosomata. 



A char.acteristic is exhibited in some fishes whereby they depart from all other 

 vertebrates and manifest an exception to a general rule, viz. : that the sides are alike, 

 or, in other words, that vertebrates are " bilaterally symmetrical." It is true that 

 asymmetry is seen in most of the viscera of vertebrates generally, and even in some 

 of the head-bones, especially about the nose of the toothed cetaceans, but the asymme- 

 try is entirely concealed or not conspicuous externally. In a number of fishes, 

 however, the want of l»ilateral symmetry is very striking; the body is very com- 

 pressed, and one side, as a rule, is whitish or uncolored, while the other is dark ; 

 further, the eyes are both on the colored side. The fishes so marked are popularly 

 known as fiat fishes. They are prone to lie on the bottom, flat on the light side, and 

 with the dark side, much the color of the ground, iipwards, and the eyes are then 

 both seen and seeing in one direction. Such is the case with the old and all but the 

 very young. But a remarkable history is that of the flat-fishes. When they are born, 

 and for some time afterwards, they are symmetrical fishes, with an eye on each side, 

 and may be seen swimming in mid-water, nearly straight, but with a tendency to lean 



