208 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



General food Extreme fecundity. 



preserved by the common methods of curin"- 

 with salt. 



Cod feed principally on the smaller species of 

 the scaly tribes, on worms, shell-fish, and crabs; 

 and their digestion is sufficiently powerful to 

 dissolve the greatest part even of the shells which 

 they swallow. They are very voracious, and 

 catch at any small body they observe moved by 

 the water, even stones and pebbles, which are 

 often found in their stomachs. 



These fish are so extremely prolific, that Leeu- 

 \venhoek counted above nine millions of eggs in 

 the roe of a middling-sized cod fish. In the Eu- 

 ropean seas they begin to spawn in January, and 

 they deposit their eggs in rough ground among 

 rocks. Some continue in roe till the beginning 

 of April. They recover very quickly after spawn- 

 ing, and good fish are to be taken all the sum- 

 mer. When they are out of season, they are 

 thin-tailed and lousy. 



Cod frequently grow to a very great size; the 

 usual weight being from fourteen to forty pounds. 

 The largest that is known to have been taken in 

 this kingdom was at Scarborough, in the year 

 177o; it measured five feet eight inches in length, 

 and five feet in circumference, and weighed se- 

 venty-eight pounds. 



Cod fish are chosen for the table, by their 

 plumpness and roundness near the tail; by the 

 depth of the hollow behind the head^ and by the 



