178 GADIDyE. 



on the Cornish coast, without much regularity in its move- 

 ments. From January to April, which is its season for 

 spawning, it keeps near the bottom, and loses the great 

 voracity by which it is characterised at other times, so that 

 multitudes of them are caught in trawls, and but few with 

 a line ; but, when Pilchards approach the shores, it follows 

 them, continuing in incalculable numbers through the win- 

 ter. It rarely happens that Pilchards are taken in a sean 

 without many Hakes being enclosed with them ; and thus, 

 when the net remains in the water for several days, they 

 have an opportunity of glutting themselves to their heart's 

 desire, which is to such an extent as to render them helpless, 

 and 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 fisher- 

 men observe that, when hooked, the Hake presently evacu- 

 ates the contents of the 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." 



The Hake may be traced nearly all round the coast of 

 Ireland; and is so abundant in the Bay of Galway, that, 

 according to a recent writer, this bay is named in some 

 ancient maps the Bay of Hakes. On that part of the 

 Nymph Bank off the coast of Waterford, this fish 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 sys- 

 tematic name of merlucius, Seapike, implies. It is a coarse 

 fish, not admitted at the tables of the wealthy ; but large 

 quantities are annually preserved both by salting and drying, 

 part of which are exported to Spain. 



The Hake is very common on the northern shore of the 



