BIB, POUT, AND WHITING POUT. 159 



bladders, it is called Pout, Bib,* Blens,* and Blinds.* 

 The flesh is excellent ; and, like most of the other fishes of 

 this family, it is in the best condition for the table in No- 

 vember and December. Its food is small fish and the vari- 

 ous animals allied to the shrimps. It is most frequently 

 caught in spring, because it then approaches the shore for 

 the purpose of spawning. The largest specimen I have seen 

 measured in length sixteen inches. 



The length of the head is to the whole length of the fish 

 as one to four ; the depth of the body is greater than the 

 length of the head, and compared to the whole length of the 

 fish as one to three and a half : the first dorsal fin commences 

 in a vertical line a little behind the origin of the pectoral 

 fin ; the longest ray longer than the base of the fin : the rays 

 of the second dorsal fin are short ; the base of it as long again 

 as the base of the first dorsal fin, and ending nearly on the 

 same plane as the first anal fin : the base of the third dorsal 

 fin is nearly as short as that of the first dorsal, commencing 

 and ending on the same plane with the second anal fin, and 

 both are similarly truncated. The ventral fins are consider- 

 ably in advance of the line of the origin of the pectorals ; 

 the first two rays elongated, and divided at the ends : the 

 anal aperture is in a line under the origin of the pectoral 

 fins, but the cavity containing the intestines extends much 

 farther back ; the first anal fin commences nearly in a line 

 with the beginning of the first dorsal, and ends on a line 

 with the ending of the second dorsal ; the rays forming the 

 middle portion of the fin the longest, the others declining in 

 length towards each extremity : the second anal fin, as before 

 mentioned, in extent of base and form like the third dorsal : 



* Probably derived from Bleb and Blain, two old words meaning a blister 

 or a bubble in the water. 



