COD. 



293 



they have a large, strong swimming-bladder, fre- 

 quently dentated or lobed at its borders. 



The most interesting of all the species is the com- 

 mon or Bank cod (G. morrhua, L.). Regarded as a 

 supply of food, a source of national industry and 

 commercial wealth, or as a wonder of nature in its 

 continuance and multiplication, this fish may justly 

 challenge the admiration of every intelligent ob- 

 server. Though found in considerable numbers on 

 the coasts of other northern regions, an extent of 

 about 450 miles of ocean, laving the chill and rugged 

 shores of Newfoundland, is the favourite annual resort 

 of countless multitudes of cod, which visit the sub- 

 marine mountains known as the Grand Banks, to 

 feed upon the crustaceous and molluscous animals 

 abundant in such situations. Hither, also, fleets of 

 fishermen regularly adventure, sure of winning a rich 

 freight in return for their toils and exposure, and of 

 conveying plenty and profit to their homes and em- 

 ployers. Myriads of cod are thus yearly destroyed 

 by human diligence ; myriads of millions, in the egg 

 state, are prevented from coming into existence, not 

 only by the fishermen, who take the parents before 

 they have spawned, but by hosts of ravenous fishes, 

 and an immense concourse of other animals, which 

 attend upon their migrations to feed upon their 

 spawn ; yet, in despite of the unceasing activity of 

 all these destructive causes, ye>r after year finds the 

 abundance still undiminished, inexhaustible by hu- 

 man skill and avidity, irrepressible by the combined 

 voracity of all the tribes of ocean. This, however, 

 is by no means the sum of destruction to which the 

 species is liable. After the spawn is hatched, while 

 the fry are too young and feeble to save themselves 

 by flight or resistance, they are pursued, and devour- 

 ed in shoals by numerous greedy tyrants of the deep, 

 and, still worse, by their own gluttonous progenitors, 

 clearly showing that without some extraordinary ex- 

 ertion of creative energy, the existence of the species 

 could not have been protracted beyond a few years. 

 Such, however, is the fecundity with which the All- 

 wise has endowed this race, that if but one female 

 annually escaped, and her eggs were safely hatched, 

 the species would be effectually preserved. This is 

 not so surprising when we recollect that the ovaries 

 of each female contain not fewer than 9,344,000 

 eggs, as lias been ascertained by careful and repeated 

 observation. 



Few members of the animal creation contribute a 

 greater mass of subsistence to the human race ; still 

 fewer are more universally serviceable than the cod- 

 fish, of which every part is applied to some useful 

 purpose. When fresh, its beautifully white, firm and 

 flaky muscles furnish our table with one of the most 

 delicious dainties; salted, dried, or otherwise con- 

 served for future use, it affords a substantial ami 

 wholesome article of diet, for which a substitute could 

 not readily be found. The tongue, which is always 

 separated from the head when the fish is first caught, 

 even epicures consider a delicacy ; and tongues, salt- 

 ed or pickled along with the swimming-bladders, 

 which are highly nutritious, being almost entirely 

 pure gelatine, are held in much estimation by house- 

 keepers, under the title of tongues and sounds. The 

 sound or skimming-bladder of codfish, if rightly pre- 

 pared, supplies an isinglass equal to the oest Rus- 

 sian, and applicable to all the uses for which the im- 

 ported is employed. The liver of the cod, when 

 fresh, is eaten by many with satisfaction, but it is 

 more generally reserved, by fishermen, for the sake 

 of the large quantity of fine limpid oil which it con- 

 tains. Tliis is extracted by heat and pressure, and 

 forms the well-known cod-liver oil of commerce, 

 which, in many respects, and for most uses, is su- 

 perior to the commonly used fish-oil. The heads of 



cod fish, after the tongues are cut out, and the gilis 

 are saved for bait, are thrown overboard, on account 

 of want of room, and because salting would not pre- 

 serve them to any advantage. Yet the head, being 

 almost entirely composed of gelatine, is, when fresh, 

 the richest, and perhaps the most nutritive part of 

 the fish. The fishermen, it is true, makes use of it 

 for their own nourishment, but the great mass is 

 thrown into the sea a circtimstance we can scarce 

 reflect upon without regret, when we remember 

 how many poor, in various charitable institutions, 

 and through the country generally, might be luxuri- 

 ously fed with the waste. If vessels were provided 

 with the requisite implements and fuel, these heads 

 would furnish a large amount of strong and valuable 

 fish-glue or isinglass, that would well repay the trou- 

 ble and expense of its preparation. The intestines 

 of the codfish also yield a tribute to the table ; the 

 French fishermen, especially, prepare from them a 

 dish somewhat similar, and not far inferior, to the 

 sounds. Finally, the ovaries or roes of the females 

 are separated from their membranes, and the eggs, 

 nicely pickled, afford an agreeable and gustful relish, 

 far more delicate and inviting to the palate than the 

 celebrated Russian caviare. In addition to these 

 usual modes of employing the different parts of our 

 fish, the Norwegians, Icelanders, and Kamtschadales 

 pound up the backbones and other refuse parts, for 

 the purpose of feeding their dogs and other domestic 

 animals during the winter. Strange as such a diet 

 may appear, it is stated as a well established fact, 

 that cows, fed upon these pounded bones, mingled 

 with a small quantity of vegetable matter, yield a 

 larger supply and a better quality of milk than those 

 supported upon more ordinary provender. 



The usual mode of preserving codfish for commer- 

 cial purposes is by salting them immediately after 

 they are caught, having first removed the head, bow- 

 els, &c. Those which are carefully selected and 

 salted with greater attention to their whiteness, are 

 usually called dunfish, and bring a better price than 

 such as are salted in bulk, with little regard to the 

 discolouration caused by imperfect washing and 

 draining before being packed. Where facilities are 

 afforded fbr drying, by an adjacent shore, or by the 

 construction of the vessel, cod are cured by drying 

 alone, or with a very small quantity of salt. This 

 process requires several days' exposure to sun and 

 air, and, when skilfully conducted, keeps the fish, 

 for an indefinite period, in a very desirable condition 

 of whiteness and freshness, both peculiarly advan- 

 tageous to the appearance of the fish at respectable 

 tables. Cod thus cured are called stock-fish, and be- 

 fore being cooked, require to be softened, by soak- 

 ing in water and pounding with a wooded mallet. 



The spawning season, on the banks of Newfound- 

 land, begins about the month of March, and termi- 

 nates in June ; consequently the regular period of 

 fishing does not commence before April, on account 

 of the storms, ice, and fogs ; and indeed, many fish- 

 ermen consider the middle of May as sufficiently 

 early. After the month of June, cod commence 

 their migrations to other quarters, and, of course, the 

 fishing is suspended until the ensuing season. Dur- 

 ing the months of April and May, fresh cod, of se- 

 veral species, are caught, in considerable abundance, 

 on the Atlantic coast of the United States, as far 

 south as the capes of Delaware, and perhaps still 

 more to the southward. At this season, the markets 

 of this country are, for a short time, supplied with 

 this fine fish. The inhabitants of the north-eastern 

 cities, being near to the great fisheries, and employ 

 ing vessels built for the conveyance of live fish, are 

 liberally provided with all the luxuries obtainable 

 from this great gift of Providence. 



