The Coal-Fish.'] OF ORKNEY. 193 



* * Three Dorsal Fins ; Chin Beardless. 



Species 3. The Coal- Fish. 



Cole- Fish septentrionalum Anglorum. Rawlin Pollack. Cornubiensium, WiL Pise. 

 168. Rail Syn. Pise. 54. Gadus carbonarius, Lin. Sys. 438. Brit.Zool. 

 152. Brit. Zool. Illus. 29, tab. 33. Sib. Scot 23. Ore. * Seth, Kuth or 

 Silluck, Piltock or Cuddin f. 



As things are at present with us, this species is the trea- 

 sure of the Orkneys ; while these are to be found, none else 

 are regarded. 



The fry of the coal-fish appear first with us in May, but small 

 quantities, and themselves very small. About August they 

 begin to be taken with small rods in great numbers, but still 

 this is nothing to the shoals that set in towards winter, when 

 the sea begins to grow stormy ; then the harbour of Strom- 

 ness especially, and many other places, are quite filled with 

 them, and thus they continue for the whole winter. About 

 this time they measure from six to ten inches, and are very 

 much esteemed ; all ranks and ages eat them under the name 

 of Sillucks. About March, the shoal, or what is left of them, 

 begin to retire to the deep, and grow very fast, insomuch 

 that, though perhaps not above eight or ten inches when they 



* Vide Sib. Scot. Illus. P. II. Lib. 3, p. 28. In boreali Scotiae plaga, the 

 Seath-Fish. 



t Vide Addend. Sib. Scot. p. 37. Cet. ad finem. 



sb 



