564 



GADOIDS. 



not merely as a stray, it appears in great numbers. 

 It is at all times rather a harsh fish, and when not in 

 good condition it is peculiarly tough and dry. It is 

 best when salted and dried ; but even then it is hard, 

 and requires to be beaten to a sort of fibrous powder 

 before it is dressed. It is a large fish, very often 

 caught of the length of three feet or more. 



The next division is that of which the ling is the 

 type ; and, from the trivial name of that fish, the 

 division is styled Molva, or sometimes Lota, after the 

 burbot. The leading three characters are the head 

 flattened ; the body elongated ; the second dorsal and 

 anal fin long, and their rays of nearly equal length. 



THE LING (G. molva), has the body long in propor- 

 tion to the diameter, but very plump and compact in 

 flesh. The upper jaw is longer than the under ; the 

 caudal fin is rounded at the extremity, and marked 

 with a dusky bar. In the characters of all this 

 division, there is, indeed, a slight approximation to 

 those of the eels. The upper part of the ling is olive 

 grey, and the under part white, which is also the 

 colour of a narrow margin on the dorsal and anal fins. 



The ling spawns in spring, at the same time with 

 the cod, so that the two are in season together. In- 

 deed, they inhabit nearly the same parts of the sea, 

 only the ling is rather the more northerly fish of the 

 two. On the north coasts of Scotland, and among 

 the northern isles, it is equally numerous with the cod, 

 if not more so ; but southwards it is rather more rare ; 

 and rarer still toward the south of England. It does 

 not appear that there is any southern variety, or, in- 

 deed, any variety at all of the ling, as there is of the 

 cod ; and, therefore, we know it chiefly as a northern 

 fish. It is, as has been already remarked, among the 

 most prolific of all fishes, and it has been observed of 

 fishes of the same family, that those which have the 

 body most elongated, are in general the most prolific. 

 In those seas where it is found, the ling is taken for 

 a supply of fresh provision as well as for salting ; but 

 as it is the most marketable of all the salted and dried 

 fish of large size, which are prepared in the north of 

 Scotland and the northern isles, it is chiefly salted and 

 dried there, the process being frequently no more 

 than spreading the split fish upon the rocks, and wa- 

 tering them from the sea. It attains a larger size 

 than the cod, though it is not so thick at the anterior 

 part. From three to four feet is the usual length of 

 ordinary sized ling, but specimens five feet in length are 

 not uncommon. The summer is the fishing time ; and 

 when the liver of the fish is white, the fish itself may 

 be considered as in condition ; but if the liver is co- 

 loured, it is not wholesome. The liver of the ling 

 gives an oil similar to that of the cod, and applicable 

 to the same purposes; indeed, it is probably finer and 

 more transparent. Altogether the ling is one of the 

 most interesting and valuable fishes in those seas 

 which it inhabits, and it is quite a treasure to the 

 northern people. 



BURBOT (G. lota). The jaws in this species are of 

 equal length, and the caudal fin is oval, and even a 

 little pointed at the termination, something approach- 

 ing in shape to that of an eel. The length varies from 

 one foot to three, and upwards ; the ground colour 

 is brownish, with blotches of pale yellow and olive. 

 The first dorsal fin is short, and consists of eleven 

 rays ; the second fin extends along the back, almost 

 to the caudal fin, which is another approximation to 

 the eel family. It is a river fish, and not a sea one ; 

 and as a British fish it has been found in the slow 



rivers of the rich parts of England only. Different 

 from those which inhabit the sea, it spawns about the 

 middle of winter ; and it differs from the eels in 

 spawning in the cold season, and not descending the 

 rivers, so far as has been ascertained, for the purpose 

 of maturing its spawn. The common English name 

 "burbot" is a contraction of "bird-bolt" a kind of 

 short arrow shot from a cross-bow, which this fish is 

 understood to resemble in shape, and after which it 

 has accordingly been called. It is also named the 

 " eel-pout," and the " coney-fish." It is understood 

 to lie in watch for its prey, agitating the barbels on 

 its mouth, as if they were moving to attract the small 

 fishes upon which it preys ; and when they come 

 within its reach they are seized and swallowed. Its 

 gape is large, and it is furnished with seven rows of 

 teeth, so that there is little chance of escape for any 

 thing that once gets within its jaws. Its body has the 

 same slippery covering as that of the eels, so that 

 though taken in the hand, the hold of it is not easily 

 retained. Its flesh is very white, and much prized 

 for its flavour ; but the roe, the individual eggs of 

 which are very large, are understood to be unwhole- 

 some, and difficult of digestion. It is furnished with 

 a very large air-b.ig. On the continent it is found 

 much more abundantly than in Britain, and it also 

 occurs farther to the north, being known in Sweden 

 and Norway, while in the more sluggish-currented of 

 the German rivers it is very abundant. It is a sin- 

 gular fish : the general organisation is decidedly that 

 of the cod family ; but the form, some parts of the 

 organisation, and also both the habits and the locality, 

 approach to those both of the eels and the blennies. 

 It may be considered as among the most anomalous 

 of all the British fishes. 



The next division are the Gades, of which the trivial 

 name of the common gadc, Mustcla, has been taken 

 for the sub-generic name by many, and the name 

 Gadus bv others. In the south of Scotland the com- 

 mon pike is called the " ge-d," but it must not be con- 

 founded with the gadcs of the. cod family. The cha- 

 racters are the first dorsal fin very small, and the 

 head of moderate size. There are several species 

 which come under this division. 



FIVE BANDED GADE (G. niustela). This species 

 has, as the trivial name imports, five filaments or bands 

 on the anterior part of the head. Of these four are 

 on the upper jaw, and one on the under. Two of the 

 upper ones are on the tore part of the mouth, and the 

 other two immediately over them. The remaining 1 

 one is on the middle of the lower jaw, similar to that 

 in the common cod. It is a sea fish, found on tiie 

 coasts both of England and of Scotland, but more 

 frequently on the former, where it is called the "sea- 

 loche," the " whistle fish," and the " rockling," the last 

 of which names points out the kind of ground on 

 which it is most common. It also occurs on the 

 coasts of Germany, and in the Mediterranean. It is 

 about a foot and a half in length, generally olivt: 

 above, and whitish on the underside ; but its colours 

 are subject to considerable variations, and it is often 

 found spotted, and sometimes nearly white all over. 

 It is chiefly found among the seaweed about rocks, 

 where it feeds on Crustacea and mollusca. 



THREE BANDED GADE ( G. tricirratus). This spe- 

 cies is about the same size with the former, but, as 

 the name implies, it has only three appendages, one 

 of which is on the lower jaw, and two on the upper. 

 Its colour is also different; and all the rays of the 



