372 PHILOSOPHY OF ZOOLOGY. 



being disagreeable, unless to the organs of smell. Such 

 fish are termed by the Zetlanders blawn-fish. 



Where fish are to be procured only at certain seasons of 

 the year, various methods have been devised, to pre- 

 serve them during the periods of scarcity. The simplest 

 of these processes is to dry them in the sun. They are 

 then used either raw or boiled, and not unfrequently, in 

 some of the poorer districts of the north of Europe, they 

 are ground into powder, to be afterwards formed into 

 bread. 



But by far the most successful method of preserving fish, 

 and the one in daily use, is by means of salt. For this 

 purpose they are packed with salt in barrels, as soon after 

 being taken as possible. In this manner are herrings, pilch- 

 ards, cod, and salmon preserved, as well as many other 

 kinds of esculent fish. 



The fish, in many instances, after having been salted in 

 vessels constructed for the purpose, are exposed to the 

 air on a gravelly beach, or in a house, and dried. Cod, ling, 

 and tusk, so prepared, are termed in Scotland salt-fish. 

 Salmon in this state is called kipper ; and haddocks are usu- 

 ally denominated by the name of the place where they have 

 been cured. 



After being steeped in salt, herrings are in many places 

 hung up in houses made for the purpose, and dried with 

 the smoks of wood. In this state they are sent to the mar- 

 ket, under the name of red-herrings. 



Although salt is generally employed in the preservation 

 f fish, whether intended to be kept moist or to be dried, 

 vinegar in certain cases is added. It is used, in this coun- 

 try at least, chiefly for the salmon sent from the remote 

 districts to the London market. It can only, however, be 

 employed in the preservation of those fish to which this 

 acid is served as a sauce. 



