82 FISH IN SCOTCH SEA-LOCHS. [PART I. 



induced them to congregate. Next to these, Cod 

 and Codlings, Flounders, and Lythe are generally 

 the most plentiful. They are, however, varied by 

 many others, among which I may particularly 

 notice, as very familiar, those sea-pike, the Hake, 

 brutes for whom it is the fashion to fish with a 

 hook apparently large enough for a Shark, affixed 

 to a chain nearly as large as a jack-chain, but 

 which however little one might suspect it from 

 their formidable rows of teeth, and (occasionally) 

 voracious appetites seem to nibble as gently and 

 delicately as a roach, and, when they are not in- 

 clined to bite, are often felt rubbing against your 

 plummet, and actually raising it up, as if they 

 were scratching their backs against it, as I dare 

 say they are ; Gurnet, who when they are hoisted 

 on board, and at intervals, as long as they have 

 power to express their feelings, grunt out their 

 disapprobation of your proceedings; the beautiful 

 little golden-opal-tinted Power-Cod, there called 

 " King-fish " (I am sorry to use so many epithets, 

 but he deserves them all) ; Sillocks 1 , (Stenlocks or 

 Stedlocks) and Saithe (Coal-fish of more advanced 



1 There is some little confusion with regard to the names 

 of this fish, which differ in different parts of the coast. Al- 

 though Sillock, Stenlock, and Stedlock are, I believe, always 



