TOAD-FISH. 531 



Dr. Bloch observes, that herrings are in reality found at almost all 

 seasons of the year about some of the European coasts ; and that 

 the northern voyages, supposed by Pennant and others, are im- 

 practicable in the short period assigned by naturalists ; the fish, 

 in its swiftest progress being utterly incapable of moving at so 

 rapid a rate as this migration necessarily supposes. For these and 

 other reasons Dr. Bloch is inclined to believe the long voyage of 

 the herring to exist only in the minds of its describers. 



Among the principal enemies of this fish may be numbered the 

 various species of whales,* some of which are observed to pursue 

 large shoals, and|to swallow them in such quantities, that in the sto- 

 mach of a single whale no less than six hundred herrings are said to 

 have been found. Besides the whale, various species of marine 

 birds of prey are perpetually assailing them, either on the water 

 or from above. The herring itself is supposed to feed principally 

 on sea-insects and the smaller kind of marine worms. 



Exclusive of the various methods of preparing this fish for sale 

 in different countries, a great quantity of oil is drawn from it, 

 forming a great and important commercial article among the north- 

 ern nations, and particularly among the Swedes. 



[Pennant. Shaw. 



SECTION XV. 



Toad-Fish, or Angler. 

 Lophius piscatorius. Linn. 



The genus lophius is remarkable for a peculiarly uncouth ap- 

 pearance ; the body being thick and shapeless, and the fins short 

 and broad : the largest of the genus is the lophius piscatorius, 

 popularly known by the title of the frog.fish. It is an inhabitant 

 of the European seas, where it sometimes arrives at a great size, 

 having been seen to measure six or seven feet in length : its more 

 general length however is from two to three or four feet. The 

 shape bears some resemblance to that of a tadpole, the head being 

 lost as it were in the outline of the sides, and the hind-parts taper- 

 ing pretty suddenly towards the tail : the skin is smooth, but the 

 upper parts of the animal are marked by various inequalities of 



* Particularly a whale called the Nord-Caper, a very swift animal of th* 

 Ore tribe. 



2M2 



