100 HAKE. 



excess that their craviiifir is satisfied. When a school of 

 Pilchards is enclosed within a scan, it will commonly happen 

 that several Hakes are cooped up with them; and when the 

 tucking of the scan is in progress, for the purpose of taking 

 Tip the imprisoned fish, the Hakes are often iound so filled 

 with the smaller fish as to he utterly helpless. Seventeen 

 Pilchards have been found in the stomach of a Hake on 

 this occasion. As even the fishes of the sea are conscious 

 of an instinctive dread of danger, fishermen affirm that the 

 smaller tribes display as significant a fear of the approach 

 of the Hake and Ling as of a Shark, and they quit the 

 station M'hen these enemies appear. 



On ordinary occasions Hakes swim at a considerable depth 

 in the water, and shew themselves ready to seize whatever 

 object may chance to offer itself to their notice; but, contrary 

 to the more usual habits of their family, they appear to lose 

 their appetite at the time when they are about to shed their 

 spawn, the season for which is the early months of the year, 

 although this is liable to variation, as indeed is the case with 

 most fishes, so that in the cold season of 1837 the spawning of 

 Hakes was not accomplished until August. At this time their 

 presence on the coast is signified only by the numbers taken 

 with trawls, while very few fall to the lot of those who fish 

 with hook and line. When caught with the latter at a con- 

 siderable depth this fish ejects the contents of its stomach 

 before it reaches the surface, but when the hook has been 

 swallowed at a higher station in the water this ejection does 

 not take place until the captive is drawn on board; and 

 there can be little doubt that terror is the exciting cause in 

 every instance; but the fact itself goes far to explain how it 

 happens that many fishes which beyond doubt are eager feeders, 

 are generally found when caught to have their stomachs altogether 

 empty. 



There is reason to believe that in early times the Hake 

 w^as far more highly valued for the table than we now find it 

 to be; but it is probable that it then filled the place now 

 occupied by the Cod of Newfoundland, as well as of being an 

 accustomed dish for the fast in Lent, and other usual days of 

 abstinence enforced by law. Li the fifteenth century salted 

 Hakes formed an important i)art of the trade of Ireland; and 



