&ILPIN ^ON THE COD FISH. 105 



Bi-anchiostegal rays, 7, 1st D, 14, 2d D, 19, 3d D, 19, C about 45, 1st 

 A 22, 2d A 17, V 6, P 19. 



On opening this fish, the small single heart presented in front, a large 

 light colored yellow liver covered the stomach and intestine running down the 

 right side. Removing this the stomach appeared, with its pyloric end 

 encircled with a fringe of numerous coeca. A short intestine was reflected 

 upwards over the stomach and then descended to the vent, the gall bladder 

 was filled with bile, the spleen was small and dark browji. Removing these, 

 the sound or air bladder presented, strongly attached to the spinal column 

 and its transverse processes ; externally smoky white — internally, when cut 

 into, pure white, but showing marks of extravasations of red blood in many 

 parts. The membrane was firm and apparently fibrous, and lined by appar- 

 ently serous membrane. Fibrous filiraents seemed to run to each tranverse 

 process of the back bone, as if the fish should have the power of compressing 

 the bladder. This bladder extended from an inch below the vent, nearly to 

 the gills, where it presented a wide front, from either corner of which there 

 proceeded two tubes, which, arching rapidly ht first, passed towards the gills, 

 where the free end seemed to remain embedded in the muscle. These tubes 

 were hollow, and easily traced by a wire from within the bladder to the free 

 end, which was a closed sack. This specimen was about two feet long and 

 weighed about three pounds. They vary in our markets from one pound up 

 to eighty. There is a tradition of a fish being sold by Mr. Lisle* a merchant of 

 Halifax, weighing, when dried, one hundred and fourteen pounds. When 

 taken from the sea it must have been one hundred and fifty weight. 



In speaking of the colour of the cod, I have described the 

 individual specimen before me, but on examining many hun- 

 dreds, or I may say thousands, exposed for sale in the Halifax 

 fish markets, we find that this greenish ash runs through every 

 shade, from dark blue green, to the lightest yellow ash, in 

 different individuals. Some are so dark that the spots are 

 scarcely discernible. The spots, themselves, vary in shape, in 

 size, and arrangement, in different individuals. They are 

 square, oval, in rings and in broken links, in different fish, and 

 sometimes one fish has every kind upon him at once. They 

 usually are bronze, but when first taken out of the sea, almost 

 golden. There is a variety called rock-cod, with a brilliant 

 red wash, and another with a bright yellow, superseding 

 the green. There are others that have black blotches on the 

 sides, called pine-trees by the fishermen, from a fancied resem- 

 blance. I consider them to be the Greenland variety called 

 " Ogack" by Dr. Gunther. 



In comparing our fish with DeKay's figure of the American 

 cod, it agrees well with it in colour. It does not agree so well 



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