THE COMMON WHITING. 515 



attains twenty and upwards. A sandy bottom seems to 

 be its place of resort. During the summer, one usually 

 finds it in from twelve to sixteen fathoms water, but in 

 the autumn it approaches nearer the shore. It is not gre- 

 garious, strictly speaking, for, even during the breeding 

 season, it never assembles in regular shoals, so at least say 

 Swedish naturalists ; but the Danish are at variance with 

 them on this point. Neither is it a great traveller, but 

 is believed to dwell the whole year round not far from 

 where it is bred. It is reputed to be a most voracious 

 feeder, and a special enemy of the young herrings. It 

 spawns early in spring, say March and April, but Northern 

 zoologists appear to know vei'y little in regard to where 

 it deposits its roe, &c. 



The young fry make their appeai"ance early in summer, 

 when, if the fishermen are to be credited, they collect in 

 numbers beneath the great Sea-Nettles (Ifedtisacqpillata), 

 with which the ocean abounds, seeking shelter, appa- 

 rently, between its long filiform tentacles. This story is 

 strengthened by the fact that during the summer the 

 fry is never found near the shore, and tliat one then 

 sees young whiting, of from four to five inches in length) 

 remain by the hour together under the Medusa3, following 

 them in their slow progressive movements, which seems 

 to imply a certain degree of acquaintance and intimacy 

 between them. Possibly, however, the small whitings 

 in question feed on the marine Hyperhtce that attach 

 themselves to the glutinous tentacles of the ci'eatures, 

 or it may be seek protection from larger fisli that shun 

 the Medusae. Be this as it may, from their being so 

 constantly observed together the fisliermen draw the 

 sagacious conclusion that the young whitings are stiftade, 

 or bred, in the Medusae, and that, so long as they are 

 small, the latter serve as their ammor, or wet-nurses. 



The Whiting is, in every sense of the word, a godsend 



2 L 2 



