CHAPTER XVII. 



THE HAKE. 

 Merlucius albidus, DKKAT. 



THIS fish is similar in appearance to the Tom-Cod, for which 

 it is often mistaken by those who have never examined the two 

 together. They, however, belong to the cod family, and are 

 classed among ichthyologists as being related, although some- 

 what distant, to that species. 



They are found in great abundance in England and France, 

 where they are caught and sold in immense quantities. They are 

 also caught of very large size, measuring three to five feet in 

 length. Mr. Yarrell says, that they are " so abundant in the 

 Bay of Galway that it was formerly called the Bay of Hakes. 

 On that part of the Nymph off the coast of Waterford, the Hake 

 is also so plentiful, that one thousand have been taken by six 

 men with lines in one night. It is a voracious fish, as its 

 systematic name of Merlucius, sea-pike, implies. They feed 

 upon a description of fish called Pilchards, on which they glut 

 themselves to their heart's desire. I have seen seventeen 

 Pilchards taken from the stomach of a Hake of ordinary size. 

 Their digestion, however, is quick, so that they speedily get rid 

 of their load, and fishermen observe that upon being hooked, 

 the Hake presently evacuates the contents of his stomach to 

 facilitate its escape ; so that when hundreds are taken with a 

 line, in the midst of prey, not one will have anything in its 

 stomach. When near the surface, however, this rejection does 

 not take place until after they are dragged on board." 



They do not appear to be so generally distributed in this 

 country, as they are in others, neither do they grow to so large 

 a size, and although not a game fish they are easily taken with 



