COMMON COD. J4<9 



The largest Codfish I have a record of weighed sixty 

 pounds, was caught in the Bristol Channel, and produced 

 five shillings : it was considered cheap there at one penny 

 the pound. Pennant, however, states that a Codfish of 

 seventy-eight pounds' weight was caught at Scarborough, and 

 sold for one shilling. 



There appears to be two well-marked varieties of the 

 Common Cod ; one with a sharp nose, elongated before the 

 eye, and the body of a very dark brown colour, which is 

 usually called the Dogger Bank Cod. This variety prevails 

 also along our southern coast. The other variety has a 

 round blunt nose, short and wide before the eyes, and the 

 body of light yellowish ash-green colour, and is frequently 

 called the Scotch Cod. Both sorts have the lateral line white. 

 I believe the distinction of more southern and northern Cod 

 to be tenable, and that the blunt-headed lighter-coloured 

 fish does not range so far south as the sharper-nosed dark 

 fish. In this view I may quote the authority of Dr. Mit- 

 chell, who, in his paper on the Fishes of New York, says of 

 the broad-nosed fish, " We get him, however, only in the 

 cool season, for the summer temperature of our waters kills 

 him : he is, therefore, only found here between November 

 and April." Our fishermen now finding plenty of Codfish 

 much nearer home, the London shops for the last year or 

 two have only now and then exhibited specimens of the 

 short-nosed northern Cod : both varieties are equally good 

 in quality, and both are frequently taken on the same 

 ground. 



The length of the specimen described was three feet, and 

 the weight about twelve pounds. The length of the head 

 compared to the length of the body alone, without the cau- 

 dal rays, is as one to two and a half ; the depth of the body 

 equal to the length of the head : the first dorsal fin com- 



