THE HADDOCK. 183 



from land, they are feldom any taken. The larger hadocks 

 leave the coall as foon as they begin to be out of feafon, 

 leaving behind only the fmaller fiih This remark is ap- 

 plicable to all the fifb that appear oii the Torkjhlre coaft, 

 except the mackrel, which alone remains after becoming 

 unfit for ufe *. 



The hadock is the moll: common fpecies in the London 

 market, as it is not only plenty, but in feafon during the 

 gre'ateft part of the year. The larger filh begin to roe in 

 the middle of November, and continue fo till the end of 

 January, when they are unfit for ufe. Thofe of the 

 middle fize recover about the beginning of May, and are 

 in feafon till February ; fuch as are incapable of breeding 

 femain at all times fit for the table. In ftormy weather 

 none of this fpecies take the bait ; the fiftiermen affert, 

 that they then ooze in the bottom of the fea, and llielter 

 themfelves there, till the agitation of the water has ceaf- 

 ed : In proof of this, they allege that thofe which are 

 taken immediately after a ilorm, are covered with mud 

 upon the back. 



The common fize of the haddock is twelve inches in 

 length, of a dark colour upon the back, and the fkin co- 

 vered with fmall fcales. On each fide about the middle 

 is a large black fpot, the prints, as it is faid, of the fin- 

 ger and thumb of St. Peter, when he held this fpecies, 

 pnd took the tiibule out of its mouth : A mark which 

 fuperflition has extended to the whole race of hadocks, 

 at once to atteft and commemorate that miracle ; unfor- 

 tunately, however, the haddock is not the only fifli that 

 has been fuppofed to be thus dillinguillied by the marks 

 of the apoflolic touch f . 



Of 



f Eritilh Zoology, | Willough. page 1 70. 



