GREA T BRITAIN. 241 



Uses. Bait for ground fish when other descriptions run 

 short, for which when cut into strips they are found very 

 efficient. 



Habitat. Distributed from Iceland and the Scandinavian 

 coast, the Baltic, North Sea, and Atlantic coasts of Europe 

 to the Mediterranean. 



In the Orkneys and Zetland it is not uncommon, and 

 extends in more or less abundance during certain seasons 

 around the British coasts. Banff, not scarce at certain 

 seasons ; found in the Moray Firth ; at St. Andrews is 

 occasionally thrown on the sands after storms. It enters 

 the Firth of -Forth in large shoals about the beginning of 

 July in company with the mackerel, and remains till the 

 end of August, but seldom ascends to any distance. Is taken 

 with net and hook, and sometimes found on the haddock 

 lines which have been baited with mussel. Berwickshire, 

 occasional ; Yorkshire, resident off the coast and not un- 

 common, approaching the shore in summer ; in autumn it 

 has been cast ashore in considerable numbers during heavy 

 gales ; Norfolk, off which coast it breeds, one is recorded 

 by Lubbock as having been taken within five miles of 

 Norwich. Along the whole of the south coast. Kent and 

 Sussex, very abundant. Devonshire, not uncommon. Corn- 

 wall, common. Off Swansea it is not infrequent in the 

 bay, but never in shoals, and usually of a smaller size than 

 on the other coasts. In the Firth of Clyde, May 25th, 

 1877, the capture of an example 28 inches in length was 

 recorded as a rarity. 



In Ireland it is taken all round the coast, generally in 

 the latter part of the summer and autumn ; a few are also 

 obtained in the early months of the year (Thompson). In 

 some seasons it is common from Cork to Londonderry. 



The largest British example recorded is one 3 feet long. 



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