106 GILPIN — ON THE COD FISH. 



with Couch's figure of the English cod, in colour, and the terar 

 "mottled" on the sides is scarcely a good description of the 

 rery defined spots which our cod has over his back and sides. 

 Yet Dr. Gunther in his catalogue of fishes, (B. Museum,) con- 

 siders the English and American cod identical, and is followed 

 by Sir John Richardson. The American authors, except Gill, 

 though admitting the English and Newfoundland fish identical, 

 assert there is a distinct American variety. Unfortunately they 

 do not give the exact differences in each. I have never suc- 

 ceeded in finding but one species in the many thousands I have 

 examined, and this species tallies exactly with DeKay's descrip- 

 tion of the American variety, except a very slight variation of 

 the number of fin rays, which is too variable a mark to be 

 considered typical. I consider our fish identical with European, 

 with Newfoundland, and the American variety of DeKay. I 

 have little more to add of the habits of the cod. That following 

 the surface feeders, the herring, gaspereaux, mackerel, shad, and 

 capelin, he migrates from the deep soundings in spring, and 

 returns in winter — that we are ignorant of his spawning time 

 and grounds, (some Danish authorities have lately reported he 

 sheds his spawn in mid ocean, at various depths,) that he is a 

 bottom feeder and voracious eater, and that he attains above one 

 hundred pounds in weight. I beg to refer you to the very 

 curious, exact, and graphic paper by the Eev. Mr. Ambrose, 

 (see Transactions Inst. Nat. Science, N. S., 1865 and Q6,) on 

 this subject. 



A description of the catching of this valuable fish, divided 

 into the shore and deep sea fisheries, merits a separate paper. 

 The various materials used — the vessels, the boats, lines, seines 

 and nets, — the moral, intellectual, and religious influences ii 

 exerts upon the homes, the habits, and character of those em- 

 ployed in its pursuits, — the political questions with foreign 

 powers, arising out of it, — the questions of protections and of 

 bounties, — the alleged increasing scarcity of fish, and the 

 admitted increasing distances of the fishing grounds, and 

 diminishing supply of bait, are all subjects of the highest impor- 

 tance to the Maritime Provinces. Twenty thousand of our 

 fellow subjects, upon whom depend one hundred thousan<J 



