THE COMMON ANGLER. 491 



Scandinavia, from the Sound to the North, Cape, but I 

 am not sure of its having been identified in the Baltic. 

 According to Kroyer, it attains a length of six feet, with 

 a mouth of such extraordinary capacity as to take in 

 substances of the size of a bushel basket. For the most 

 part it lives at the bottom, and often at a very great 

 depth, where it lies concealed amongst seaweeds, which it 

 much resembles in colour. Here it sets in motion, its 

 tendrils, not unlike worms in appearance, and thus lures 

 the holibut and other fish that habitually live at the 

 bottom, when they are quickly swallowed up by the 

 creature. Hence by the ancients, it was called Sana 

 piscatrLc, or fishing frog. Little or nothing seems known 

 regarding the breeding habits of this fish. It is only 

 occasionally captured ; sometimes in nets along with other 

 fishes, and at others by the hook. The largest are taken 

 on the Jutland Reef in the Skager-Rack, and not unfre- 

 quently at a depth of ninety fathoms. Its flesh is said 

 to be palatable, but, from prejudice, is seldom if ever 

 eaten in Sweden. It is very hard-lived, and instances are 

 on record of its surviving nearly a day and a half after 

 being taken out of the water. 



The fishermen entertain many curious superstitions 

 regarding the Common Angler. Amongst the rest, that 

 should it be captured by a vessel engaged in the " deep- 

 sea fishery," some one of the crew is, in consequence, 

 "fog" or doomed to die shortly. They, therefore, seldom 

 take it on board, but for the most part sever the line, 

 and let it go away with the hook. Otherwise, when they 

 have hauled it up to the surface of the water, they cast 

 a heavy stone into its distended and capacious jaws, and 

 allow it, thus ballasted, to sink to the. bottom. Hence 

 the largest specimens, which are always taken far out to 

 sea, are seldom or never brought to land, so as to serve 

 the purposes of science. 



