GILPIN — ON" THE HAKE. Ill 



tfon. In all I have examined, I have found \Yhat seemed 

 difficult to determine, whether it was extra vasated blood, or a 

 reticulated plexus inside of the bladder. In every part of a fish 

 one meets with quantities of extra vasated blood, answering to 

 the terrible convulsions and flappings of dying fish. 



In studying the hake we find that he departs still more 

 widely from the t}^3e of the family. His fins runs into a con- 

 tinuous range, his tail is very small, and as in the pollack, we 

 found a lengthened lower jaw, giving a less powerful, or less 

 rapacious look, so we cannot but admit that in the hake the large 

 head, concave profile, projecting upper jaw, and bands of teeth 

 all projecting downwards, give him a shark-like look. Hake 

 are repeatedly drawn to the surface by their hold upon a hooked 

 fish, and not seldom seem loth to quit their prey. A hake was^ 

 caught by a set-line in Digby basin ^ having swallowed a haddock 

 previously hooked, and thus entangling himself on the already 

 occupied hook. Among fishermen he enjoys the character of a 

 lively, saucy fish. He prefers muddy bottoms, and takes bait 

 best at night. He also takes refuge in fresh ponds having out- 

 lets to the sea, and is said to winter there. He is caught during 

 winter, in deep soundings on the banks, but not in such numbers 

 as the cod. His flesh, either fresh or salted, is much less palat- 

 able than the others of this family. 



In this paper I have used the nomenclature of the British 

 Museum (Dr. Gunther), though giving the synonymes of the 

 American writers, wherever I could obtain them. These last 

 have followed Cuvier and Vallencennes with the exception of 

 Dr. Gill, (Smithsonian Institute), who has reclassed the whole 

 subject, whilst the former has returned to the oldLinnean names, 

 superseded apparently for no cause or for better generic terms, 

 by Cuvier. 



Note. — I have spoken of the maxillaries and intermaxillaries as being received^ 

 into a side pouch when the mouth is closed. Anatomically speaking, both maxillaries 

 and intermaxillaries are received into a side pouch, in all this family. This arrangement 

 has its widest divergence in the ground Shark (S. Borealis Yarrell,) where the 

 maxillaries become cartilaginous, and covered with red mucous membrane — in fact a gum- 

 is received into a pouch lined also with red mucous membrane, which is in fact a secon- 

 dary mouth. 



