104 



GILPIN ON THE COD FISH. 



I have never found a tisherman who had seen cod spawning, 

 or seen their spawn lioating like herring spawn on the water. 

 According to the most intelligent, the female fish is heaviest, the 

 spawn the largest, and escaping from her body when dead in 

 greatest quantities during May and June. I therefore suppose 

 they spawn in deep soundings, in greatest numbers, somewhat 

 later than mid summer ; others say later, perhaps both accounts 

 are right ; and as in studying the herring we found that there 

 were two or more distinct spawns during the year, so it may 

 hold true as regards the cod. During fall the young fry are 

 abundant about our shores, and from analogy of other fishes, 

 one would suppose a codling of six inches, was a first year's fish, 

 and at that period six weeks or two month's old. 



Description of a Cod taken from the Halifax market, 1867. 



From a rather obtuse snout, the outline of head rises gently to the first 

 dorsal iin, which has its anterior edge slightly posterior to insertion of 

 pectoral, from thence declines gently to the tail, the body here is small and 

 tapering. The lower outline descends from the tail quickly to a point just 

 below the first dorsal fin, thence rising rapidly to the snout, forms a very stout 

 bellied fish that tapers off to the tail ; there are three dorsal and two anal fins, 

 and the ventral fins are inserted anterior to the pectoral. Fish of this order 

 have the pelvic bones, or those upon which the ventral and pectoral fins are 

 based, joined by a hooked process to the bones of the head, instead of hanging 

 unattached. The caudal fin is square, eye large, diameter one inch, irides 

 brownish bronze ; eye two diameters from tip of nose, nostril double, nearly 

 half way between eyes and nose. Intermaxillary bones forming the upper 

 jaw, which is longer than the lower, the lips are fleshy, the free end of the 

 intermaxillary is square, and fits into a narrow pouch when the mouth is closed, 

 — a deep sulcus through both intermaxillaries running beneath the snout. 

 A small barbel about an inch long beneath the chin. The shape of the first 

 dorsal pointed, higher than long third, ray longest, of the second roundish, 

 and of the third rhomboidal. The pectoral is ovate, and the ventral is narrow 

 with the fins and second rays prolonged into soft filiments. The colour of the 

 bead and back dark greenish ash, becoming lighter upon sides, a square spot 

 of lighter green behind the eye. The chin, throat, belly, and lower parts 

 white, with very minute black dots. This whole green colour forms a back 

 ground for numerous yellowish bronze spots. In this specimen these spots are 

 square, but in others they are ovate or circular, or like broken links of a chain, 

 varying in character, but always present. The colour of the pectoral fins was 

 light transparent green, the ventral with a border and two rays white, the 

 dorsal, anal and caudal dark transparent green, with faint spots. Lateral line 

 pure white and running in an arch to middle of second dorsal, then straight. 

 In the upper jaw the teeth are contained in a lunatcd band passing round 

 inside of the intermaxillaries, the mesial line being bare. An irregular row 

 of small and larger teeth in lower jaw, the symphasis bare. A crescent 

 of teeth on palatine arch and inside the mouth, above and in front of swallow, 

 two roundish knobs of osseous substance, resernbling the teeth of the sea-wolf 



