COD, HADDOCKS, WHITING, BREAM, ETC 431 



in Norway is applied to several varieties of codfish ; in fact, it 

 is the Norwegian for cod. Being once saddled with a man 

 whom I wished to abuse politely at intervals, with the object 

 of keeping him up to his work, I made inquiries locally for 

 the most suitable Norwegian expression. I was told that 

 'gammel torsk,' i.e. old codfish, would probably answer my 

 purpose ; and I may say that I used it with great success. When 

 the old fellow's thoughts went woolgathering and he began to 

 place the boat where my fly ought to be, or let it down on to 

 rocks, a gentle application of ' gammel torsk ' always stimulated 

 him to fresh and more careful exertions on behalf of the creel. 

 The incident is mentioned not as a fisherman's yarn or to raise 

 a smile or to excite wonder, but as a piece of valuable practical 

 information for the benefit of the Englishman in Norway. 



English naturalists apply the name torsk to Brosmius brosme, 

 the tusk of the Shetlands. Off the American coast I believe 

 the same fish is sometimes called cusk. It is not common in 

 English waters, but is very plentiful on the coast of Shetland. 

 In shape these fish somewhat resemble ling, but are blunter in 

 the head and have only one back fin, which extends from the 

 root of the tail to a point level with the edge of the gill covers. 

 It also has the barbule which is common to most of the Cod 

 family. 



The POWER COD (Gadus minutus) is very common on some 

 parts of our coasts, particularly off Cornwall. It possesses 

 various local names, such as white eyes, power, ribben-pout, 

 pouting, and giligant. It is an exceedingly small fish, closely 

 resembling whiting pout, but somewhat longer in body. It 

 is common on the coast of Devonshire and Cornwall, will 

 take the same baits as the whiting pout, and is found in the 

 same localities. It is reckoned of no great value as food, but 

 if eaten the day it is caught is sweet and pleasant to the 

 palate. It is by no means a bad bait for conger. 



