LIFE -HISTORY OF THE POLLACK. 247 



that the liver of a full-grown Pollack is very large, and contains 

 several ounces of oil, all of which escapes among the eggs at the 

 time of spawning, and no doubt helps to float them. It is also a 

 fact that the oil leaves the liver of all the fish of the species at 

 the time of spawning. Like all the Gaclidce, the Pollack carries 

 a large number of eggs. I have found as manj^ as four millions 

 in the roe of a Pollack twelve pounds in weight. The time the 

 eggs take to hatch cannot be stated with precision ; but taking 

 the 15th of March as the average date of the parent spawning, 

 I have often seen young Pollack of a half-inch in length from the 

 15th to the 20th of April, which could not be more than from ten 

 to fifteen days old. This will make the period of hatching from 

 fourteen to eighteen days. 



On the matter of spawning and incubation of fishes there is 

 much to be said. Scientists tell us that the spawning of Salmon 

 in the British Isles continues from September to January, and 

 that the Herring may be found breeding off our shores in every 

 month of the year. But this statement requires qualification ; 

 for although generally true, the facts do not apply to every coast, 

 since each locality has its own especial time ; thus it will be 

 found that Herrings are always in spawn off Plymouth about 

 the first of January, whereas at Mevagissey the great Atlantic 

 Herrings do not spawn until the 10th of March. Possibly future 

 researches may show that on other coasts the Pollack may spawn 

 at some different time. 



Growth. — On this subject I must refer to my specimens. 



No. 1 bottle contains several young Pollack, from a half- 

 inch to an inch long. These were caught in Mevagissey Bay 

 on May 4th, about fifty yards from land, on the surface of the 

 sea, close to some floating sea-weeds. The colours are not 

 yet diffused, but held in spots and stars; the fins white and 

 transparent ; and no scales are found on them when under 

 three-quarters of an inch in length. The largest are just an 

 inch long, and two grains in weight. I estimate them to be 

 about a month old. 



No. 2 contains young Pollack caught near the same place, 

 close to the bottom of the sea, on June 8rd. Taking the average 

 of two of the largest, it will give a Pollack one inch and three- 

 quarters long and eleven grains in weight. It will now be observed 

 that they have all their fins and colours perfect, and are fairly on 



