98 THE COAL-FISH. 



be kept when not in use in a basket with a hook holder, shaped 

 like a tuning-fork. 



THE COAL-FISH. 



(Merlangus carbonarius. ) 



This fish is of a much more rounded form of body than either 

 the real or Silver Whiting, or the Whiting-Pollack or Lythe. 

 It is found all round our own coasts as well as on that of 

 the north of France, and Channel Islands, but is much more 

 abundant on the east, north, and north-west of the kingdom, 

 and amongst the Orkneys and Shetlands, than in the English 

 Channel. The back is dark green, lateral line and belly white, 

 but their hue varies much, many being quite blue on the back. 

 It attains a larger size than the Pollack, reaching sometimes 

 30 Ibs. ; but the flesh is inferior. It has a number of provincial 

 names, being in Devon and Cornwall known as the Race or 

 Rauning Pollack, in Yorkshire as Parr and Billet, in the north 

 of the kingdom as Saithe, Sillock, Coaley, Grey Lord, and 

 Stedlock or Stenlock, and in Guernsey as Mutan. Its habits 

 are very similar to the Pollack, being found on rocky ground, 

 and it is taken with the same tackle and baits. I have caught 

 numbers of i Ib. or 2 Ibs. weight in harbours with rod and line, 

 and find them struggle harder than Pollack. Immense numbers 

 of young Coal-fish are taken with rod and line in the Scotch 

 lochs under the name of Cuddies, also on the Yorkshire coast, 

 under the name of Parrs. Large fish keep more outside off 

 headlands in strong streams of tide, and are also found on the 

 smooth ground, where they are taken from the drift Herring 

 boats, with hook and line, mingled with Cod. In the north of 

 the kingdom and amongst the Scotch islands they are caught 

 in large numbers by whiffing, with half a dozen rods stuck into 

 a faggot or wisp of straw lashed to the thwart of the boat, with 

 a very short line and a white feather fly (see p. 92), the boat 

 being pulled very slowly along. A regular fishery is prosecuted 

 in Norway, and they are also abundant on the North American 

 coast. 



