

FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 125 



Immense shoals of this fish are found on our coast in the 

 spring, and continue through the season until the autumn. Ten 

 years since this species was comparatively rare at Cape Cod ; 

 now, it is almost as common there, as in any part of our bay. It 

 is estimated that in the warm season, about 12 cwt. of haddock 

 are taken to 1 cwt. of cod fish in Massachusetts Bay ; and in 

 the winter, about 12 cwt. of cod, to 1 cwt. haddock ; but as 

 the haddock fishery is of longer duration, the quantities through 

 the year, will average about the proportion of 3 haddock to 1 

 cod. Large numbers are sold in the market ; and during the 

 entire summer it is generally eaten by the poorer classes, who 

 are often able to obtain a fine fish weighing several pounds for 

 one or two cents. When taken in larger quantities than they 

 can be disposed of in the market, they are frequently strewed 

 over the earth for manure. 



The specimen before me is twenty four inches in length. 

 Length of the head compared to the whole length of the body, 

 exclusive of the caudal rays, 'as 6 to 20 inches ; depth of the 

 body across from the anus, less than the length of the head. 

 Color, above the lateral line, a dark grey, beneath this line, a 

 beautiful silvery grey, with a large, and in many specimens 

 nearly a circular patch, on each side, on a line with the middle 

 of the pectorals, its upper portion generally extending above 

 the lateral line, its larger portion usually beneath it. Back of 

 the head very convex ; gill-covers mueh lighter colored than 

 the top of the head and snout ; upper jaw projects beyond the 

 lower ; teeth in the upper jaw longer than in the lower, and 

 nearly vertical ; a very minute barbule at the chin ; posterior 

 nostril much larger than the anterior. Longest diameter of 

 the eye, more than one sixth the length of the head, pupils black, 

 irides bluish ; the distance between the eyes equal to nearly 

 one third the length of the head. The lateral line commenc- 

 ing at a distance above the posterior angle of the operculum, 

 equal to the length of the head, assumes the curve of the body 

 until on a plane with about the middle of the second dorsal fin, 

 from which point it runs on in a straight line to the base of 

 the caudal rays ; through its whole course, it is of a jet black 

 color. 



