104 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



of its bones had to tools used by mechanics. The common 

 term dory or doree, or John Dory, is probably merely a 

 corruption of jaune doree, or " golden-yellow/' which has 

 reference to its colour. Superstition, regardless of its 

 absence from the Lake of Gennesaret, has attributed the 

 marks upon its sides to the effects, of St. Peter's finger and 

 thumb when he captured one of the finny tribe in order to 

 obtain the tribute-money. This fish was formerly suspended 

 in churches, and the legend of the mark duly detailed and 

 implicitly believed. Some even averred that the spots were 

 elegant representations of the coin which was found. 

 Others, however, thought that, as this fish does not exist in 

 the waters where this miracle was performed, it is unlikely 

 that to it belongs the honour attributed. Another derivation 

 for " John doree " is the name jamtore, by which it is said 

 to have been known in Venice a name likewise applied to 

 St. Peter, the keeper of the keys ; in short, the door-keeper 

 of a better world. Again, the haddock has been pointed 

 out as possessing two black spots of a similar character, 

 irrespective of which, as in the East numerous fresh-water 

 and a few marine species are thus marked, it seems a rather 

 bold assumption to advocate that this form must be a 

 descendant of the identical species referred to. St. 

 Christopher is also credited with having captured this fish, 

 and left a record on its sides, as shown by the marks on 

 the dory. Another, but more far-fetched, derivation of the 

 origin of the term " John Dory " has been advanced, and 

 is that it is a corruption of the Gascon term Jan, or a 

 " cock," and that consequently it means " gilt cock," and, as 

 a further evidence, the circumstance that this fish in Southern 

 Europe is termed gallo, or " cock," from the crest on its 

 nape. Alston (Zool., 1866, p. 435) observed that in Arran 

 one was called golden haddock. 





