158 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



fish for example, by one long-beaked species known as the " Mackerel 

 Guide," or to the fishermen as " Long-nose." 



4. The Grey Mullet (Mugil capita). The family of Mugilida contains 

 some seventy species. They possess few and only rudimentary teeth, living 

 on mud, which they sift by means of a specially adapted pharynx, the stomach 

 being not unlike a bird's gizzard. The Grey Mullet is a silvery fish, with 

 darker markings, and attains a considerable weight, some specimens reaching 

 a length of 3 feet. 



5. The Red Mullet (Mullus) belongs really to the Perch family, and is 

 esteemed a great delicacy. Its colour is pale pink, with three or four yellow 

 stripes. It seldom exceeds 2 Ib. in weight. 



6. The Cod (Gadus morrhus) belongs to a large family, including Haddock, 

 Whiting, Pout, Hake, and others. 



The Cod is the largest of the family, and sometimes attains a length of 

 4 feet and a weight of 100 Ib. It has a sensitive barbel or " beard," by which, 

 no doubt, it is enabled to locate the various crustaceans on which it feeds. 

 It spawns from January to May, being extremely prolific in fact, the roe 

 of a large female may contain nine million eggs. 



7. The Haddock (Gadus ceglefinus) much resembles the Cod, but possesses 

 a black spot behind each of the pectoral fins, sometimes extending to meet 

 on the back. The fisherman's story is that these are the marks of St. Peter's 

 finger and thumb, the Haddock being reputed to be the fish from which he 

 took the tribute money. It appears in great shoals on our coasts, those taken 

 on the East Coast and in Dublin Bay being of specially fine quality. When 

 cured, it is, of course, so flattened out as to be difficult to recognize as the 

 same fish seen in the water. 



8. The Pout (Bis, BRASSY, WHITING POUT) (Gadus luscus) is seldom more 

 than a foot long, and is a much deeper-bodied fish than the other members of 

 the family. It is brown in colour, deeply banded, and white beneath. It 

 has a curious loose membrane on the head which it can dilate at will. 



9. The Whiting (Gadus merlangus), of great service as a food fish, possesses 

 no barbel on the chin, and is of a pure silver colour, with a dark spot on the 

 pectoral fin. It gains its English name, however, from the pearly whiteness 

 of its flesh. It is a voracious species, feeding not only on the bottom on small 

 Crustacea, but also on small fish such as sprats. It attains a maximum 

 length of 16 inches, and a weight of 3 to 4 Ib. It is abundant, especially on 

 our South and West Coasts. It breeds in spring, the eggs floating on the 

 surface of the water. 



10. The Pollack (Gadus pollachius) is known in Scotland and Ireland as 

 the LYTHE. It is an active fish, green in colour, possessing no barbel, and 

 the lower jaw projects beyond the upper. Its maximum weight is some 

 20 or 25 Ib. It is a common fish ; but as its flesh deteriorates quickly, it 

 is not often on view at the fishmonger's, generally being disposed of to cus- 

 tomers as soon as it is brought ashore. 



