560 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



last, were it not for the presence of the small beard, 

 which might, however, easily be overlooked; but the 

 head is shorter, the eye and the scales much larger. 

 In an oblique row, from the lateral line to the middle 

 dorsal fin, fifteen scales can be counted ; in the pollach 

 forty. Tail small; anal opening under the hinder 

 division of the first dorsal. Length 6 in. to 8 in. 

 D. 16 + 23 + 23; A. 27 + 28. 



Dr. Esmark relates that this little fish is not uncommon 

 in Christiania Fjord, in Norway, probably also in many 

 other places off the Norwegian coasts. Eespecting its 

 habits, nothing is known. 



B. With two dorsal and one anal fin. 



Gen. Merluccius, Cuv. 



Crista sagittalis cloven in front ; body covered with large 

 hard scales. 



126. MEELUCCITJS VULGARIS, Mem. Vanlig Kummel. The 



Hake. D. 



The flattened head, the round long body, the large 

 scales, and the hinder division of the dorsal and anal fins, 

 being higher than the front and rounded, will easily dis- 

 tinguish this species from any other of the cods. It is 

 often taken in the northern seas four feet long, but usually 

 it is smaller. Is not met with in the Baltic, seldom in 

 the Sound, but in the Cattegat and North Sea it is more 

 common, and it is taken far up on the west coast of 

 Norway. Formerly they were far more common off the 

 west coast of Sweden than at the present day, for now they 

 are rare and principally taken (always on a muddy, never 

 on a sandy bottom) on long lines in 100 to 120 fathoms. They 

 are said to spawn off the banks in deep water in July and 

 August, and never at any season of the year to come in on 

 to the coasts. D. 10 + 38; A. 33 ; anus lies nearer the 

 head than the point of the tail. 



Gen. Molva, Nilss. 

 Body covered with small scales, lying in a slimy skin ; 



