350 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



back, and the jaws are of equal length ; in other respects 

 the two fish are very similar. The pollack, when young, 

 is likely to be mistaken for the Green Cod, but the former 

 has the under jaw considerably the longest, and the lateral 

 line taking a gentle curve over the pectorals. This fish 

 does not appear to be so common a species as is generally 

 supposed. It is said to inhabit the coast of Norway, and 

 is found as far south as on the shores of Cornwall. Dr 

 Fleming says " it is frequently taken in the Firth of Forth 

 during the summer ;*" but of late, it has certainly become, 

 in that locality, a scarce fish, as I have not been able to ob- 

 tain above half a dozen examples for these last five years, and 

 those were taken with a hook, in the months of July and 

 August, off the pier-head at Newhaven. It feeds on small 

 marine animals, and its flesh is considered rather insipid. 



Genus MERLUCIUS.— dorsal fins two; no barbule 

 at the chin. 



Merlucius vulgaris.* — The Hake. 



Specific Characters. — Under jaw longest ; pectorals dark. 



Description. — From a specimen twenty-one inches in length. Head 

 one-fourth the length of thebody, caudal fin not included; depth of the 

 bod} 7 considerably less than the length of the head. Colour of the 

 back and sides dusky brown ; belly and anal fin dirty white ; dorsal 

 and ventrals dusky ; lower portion of the pectorals and caudal nearly 

 black. First dorsal fin of a triangular form, commencing in a line 

 over the base of the pectorals ; the first ray simple, nearly as long 

 as the second, the third equalling the length of the base of the fin ; 

 the remaining ray rapidly decreasing, the last very short ; second 

 dorsal commencing a little behind the termination of the first, run- 

 ning down the back to within a short interval of the short lateral 

 rays of the caudal fin ; the first twenty-two rays of equal length, as 

 long as the sixth ray of the first dorsal, the twenty-third to the twen- 

 ty-seventh rapidly increasing ; the remaining rays gradually diminish- 



* Merlucius vulgaris, Cuv., Yarr., Jen., Flem. Gadus merlucius, Penn., 

 Don. 



