42 POGGE. 



has taken it fi-om the stomach of a haddock caught at five 

 miles from land. The time of spawning is said to be in spring. 



They are reported to form an estimable dish; but the Pogge 

 is of too small a size, and perhaps too scarce, to be entitled 

 to much regard as food with us. 



It grows to the length of from four to six inches ; the general 

 form angular, from the rows of tubercles produced by the plates 

 with which the body is covered. The head is wide, flattened, 

 spreading towards the check, and becoming narrower towards 

 the snout, which ends in two upright forked spines. The eyes 

 moderately large, separate; mouth under the snout, narrow; 

 teeth small, numerous; tongue large. The whole head well 

 defended, covered with a crust; a strong, blunt spine runs 

 backward from behind each eye; two others on the gill-covers; 

 obscure twisted spines above, near the angle of the mouth. 

 Under the throat numerous slender filaments, and a few also 

 under the snout. Behind the head the back rises high and 

 wide, and from the first rays of the dorsal fins it slopes to the 

 end of the second dorsal; from whence it proceeds more slender 

 and even to the origin of the tail. From the top of the head 

 run two prominent ridges, which join behind the second dorsal 

 fin, and from thence pass less prominently to the tail. On the 

 side, opposite the middle of the first dorsal, another ridge begins; 

 and below this two stronger ones, close to the pectoral fin. The 

 first of these runs to the tail, and the lowermost encompasses 

 its side of the belly, to join the corresponding ridge of the 

 other side behind the anal fin; from whence it runs to the tail. 

 Lateral line bent, the whole formed of strong closely united 

 plates, of which there are twenty-nine in the most prominent 

 ridge. Dorsal fins two, near each other, and about the middle 

 of the body; standing in a depression between the two upper- 

 most ridges; the first rays of the first dorsal longest. The anal 

 fin ends at about the termination of the second dorsal. Pectorals 

 large; ventral fins small and slender; tail round; all the rays 

 of fins extending beyond the membrane. The vent far forward 

 from the anal fin. The colour varies much — sometimes dusky; 

 at others with a ground of pale pink or red, and separate 

 bands of brown or dark; with bands also on the pectoral and 

 dorsals; the tail bordered with red; filaments under the throat 

 white. 



