I q3 THE HADDOCK. 



Yorkshire coasts about the middle of winter. These 

 are sometimes known to extend from the shore, near 

 three miles in breadth, and in length from Flambo- 

 rough head to Tinmouth castle, near fifty miles, and 

 perhaps even much farther northwards. An idea of 

 their numbers may be had from the following cir- 

 cumstance : Three fishermen, within a mile of the 

 harbour of Scarborough, frequently loaded their boat 

 with them twice a dav, taking each time about a ton 

 of fish. The large ones quit the coast as soon as they 

 are out of season, and leave behind them great plenty 

 of small ones : the former are supposed to visit the 

 coasts of Hamburgh and Jutland during the sum- 

 mer. 



The larger ones begin to be in roe in November, 

 and continue so for somewhat more than two months: 

 from this time till May they are reckoned out of sea- 

 son, and are not good They then begin to recover. 

 The small ones are extremely good from May till 

 February j and those that are not old enough to 

 breed, for even two months afterwards. 



Haddocks seldom grow to any great size ; they 

 very rarely become so large as to weigh twelve or 

 fourteen pounds ; and they are esteemed more deli- 

 cate eating when they do not exceed three pounds 

 in weight. 



During stormy weather, these fish are said to take 

 shelter in the sand or mud, or among the sea-weeds. 

 They feed on various small marine animals, and fre- 

 quently become fat on herrings. The females de- 

 posit their spawn on the sea-weeds near the shore. 



On each side of the body, just beyond the gills, 



