520 THE HAKE. 



would ajopear to fail, it is an exceedingly voracious fish 

 and is readily taken by the hook. It lives chiefly on other 

 fish, and is said to bite asunder even more than it devours. 

 It is also related that vi'hen the line is about to be drawn 

 out of the water, it disgorges everything previously 

 swallowed, for the purpose, as the fishermen believe, of 

 making itself lighter. Its excessive rapacity has probably 

 given rise to the story told by Strom, that, " On a certain 

 occasion no fewer than three hakes were captured on 

 one and the same hook, which found its way through 

 their several bellies as the fish were gorged by each other 

 in succession." 



According to Professor Sundevall, the Hake spawns in 

 the end of July, or beginning of August. The fishermen 

 say there is only a single locality in the whole of the 

 Cattegat where these fish congregate in any great numbers 

 for that purpose, and which, in consequence, is called 

 '"■Kummel-rjrund,'^ or hake-bank. The spot in question, 

 which is of very limited extent, consists of sand and small 

 stones, and the depth of water is from sixteen to twenty- 

 four feet. Ilere in the season hundreds of boats, each 

 usually containing a crew of three men, may often be seen 

 collected. The baits used are mackerel and herring ; and 

 if the hakes be abundant the vessel may be loaded, Ave are 

 told, " in the course of the forenoon." 



The Hake is a very capricious fish. According to 

 HoUberg, they were so abundant in the Cattegat about 

 the year 1780, that more were captured than could be 

 converted to use. Afterwards they became very scarce, 

 but from 1801 to 1808 they once more appeared in 

 tolerable plenty, and several hundred barrels were salted. 

 Again they became rare, so much so, that it was not until 

 after the lapse of several years that he was enabled to 

 procure a specimen for scientific purposes. About the 

 year 1830, they were once more pretty common ; but 



