158 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



the herrings are present. A few are taken near Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne, but it is not much sought after, being held in 

 little esteem ; in Yorkshire it is resident and very abundant. 

 In the Norfolk estuary a large one was captured in 1845, 

 and is now in the Wisbeach Museum ; it is frequently taken 

 in Blakeney Harbour. In Devonshire abundant in the bays 

 and sometimes in the harbours. In Cornwall it is common 

 during the winter and spring, when it appears to be gre- 

 garious, and resides in strong currents, sheltering itself 

 by keeping behind large rocks, from which it darts out on 

 passing prey. 



In Ireland it is one of the commonest fish around the 

 coast, although rare in Dublin Bay. Buckland records one 

 43 inches long, and 25 Ibs., captured in December, 1866 ; and 

 Thompson an example of 32 Ibs. weight, which was taken 

 in Belfast Bay. 



b. No barbel below chin. 

 Pollack (Gadus pollachius). 



Names. Pollack, "whiting-pollack, leets (Scarborough), laits 

 (Whitby), and in Scotland and some parts of the north of 

 England lythe, perhaps signifying its pliancy and rapidity 

 of movement, laithe, leeat, leet, skeet. Sometimes termed 

 greenling or green-fish. Also termed lythe at Portrush, 

 county of Antrim. The lob alluded to in the Statute of 

 Herrings (3 1st Ed. III., A.D. 1537) as lob, ling, and cod, 

 evidently meant this fish, not the Gadus virens as suggested 

 by Couch. The term is from the Danish word lubbe, which 

 signifies the pollack. 



B. vii., D. 11-13 I 16-20 | 15-19, V. 6, A. 24-31 | 16-21. 



Length of head 3f to 4^ ; height of body 4i tp 5 in the 

 total length. Eye. Diameters, 4 to 5 in the length of the 

 head, i-^ diameters from the end of the snout, and i-J- apart. 



