CHAP, vii.] THE COOK AND THE GROUSE. 287 



are used for table purposes all the year round ; and as differ- 

 ent salmon rivers have their different close-times, so un- 

 doubtedly will the white fish of different seas or firths have 

 different spawning seasons. In reference, for instance, to so 

 important a fish as the turbot, we are very vaguely told by 

 Yarrell that it spawns in the spring-time, but have no indi- 

 cation of the particular month during which that important 

 operation takes place, or how long the young fish take to 

 grow. Even a naturalist so well informed as the late Mr. 

 Wilson was of opinion that the turbot was a travelling fish, 

 which migrated from place to place. 



The combined ignorance of naturalists and fishermen has 

 much to do with the scarcity of white fish which is now 

 beginning to be experienced; and unless some plan be hit 

 upon to prevent overfishing, we may some fine morning ex- 

 perience the same astonishment as a country gentleman's 

 cook, who had given directions to the gamekeeper to supply 

 the kitchen regularly with a certain quantity of grouse. For a 

 number of years she found no lack, but in the end the pur- 

 veyor threw down the prescribed number, and told her she 

 need look for no more from him, for on that day the last 

 grouse had been shot. " There they are," said the game- 

 keeper, " and it has taken six of us with a gun apiece to get 

 them, and after all we have only achieved the labour which 

 was gone through by one man some years ago." The cook 

 had unfortunately never considered the relation between guns 

 and grouse. 



The Gadidse family is numerous, and its members are 

 valuable for table purposes ; three of the fishes of that genus 

 are particularly in request viz. whiting, cod, and haddock. 

 These are the three most frequently eaten in a fresh state ; 

 there are others of the family which are extensively captured 

 for the purpose of being dried and salted, among which are 

 the ling, the tusk, etc. The haddock (Morrhua ayhfams) 



