THE COD FAMILY 295 



May, but on the coast of Cornwall spawning appears to com- 

 mence in INIarch, or perhaps in February, the young of the }'ear 

 being found at the beginning of April. The eggs were examined 

 in the Irish Survey, and found to be buoyant and like those of 

 the cod, haddock, and whiting, resembling the latter closely in 

 size. The eggs were not hatched. 



In Cornwall I have seen the young pollack in numbers only 

 Yo to I inch in length in April, and estimated their age at about 

 six weeks. In October I have taken a number in Cawsand Ba}^, 

 35- to 4f inches long, and have no doubt these were hatched in the 

 preceding spring. The pollack caught in Plymouth Sound in 

 June and July are 12 to 15 inches long, and are probably in their 

 third year, but as the size at which maturity commences has not 

 yet been ascertained, it is difficult to estimate the later growth. 



In the Irish Survey all young pollack under 10 inches were 

 taken at depths less than 5 fathoms. Pollack, whether }'Oung or 

 adult, are almost always found in the neighbourhood of weed- 

 covered rocks. 



The Ling {Molva vulgaris). 



Distinguishing Characters. — Several large teeth in the lower 

 jaw and palate. The barbel is nearly as long as the lower jaw. 

 The ventral fin commences beneath the seventh or eighth ray of 

 the second dorsal. The tail fin has a rounded edge. The dorsal, 

 ventral, and tail fins, are darker towards the margin, but edged 

 with white. Usually the back is a uniform grey, and the belly 

 light, but some specimens have large rounded black spots on the 

 back and sides. The ling is said sometimes to reach 7 feet in 

 length, its usual length is from 4 to 6 feet. 



Habitat. — From Spitzbergen to the Straits of Gibraltar, on 

 the east, and Newfoundland on the west. It is abundant all 

 round the British and Irish coasts, but most plentiful in the 

 northern parts of the North Sea, about the Orkneys and Shet- 

 lands, and the Faroe Islands. On the west coast of Ireland, 

 mature ling were taken in summer at various depths between 5 

 fathoms and 150, but the greatest number between 30 and 60 

 fathoms. 



Food. — The ling appears to feed almost entirely on other fish. 



