358 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



are rounded, broad, and of a brown colour ; the ventrals small, thick, 

 and fleshy, ending- in points ; the body to the vent is roundish ; the 

 belly from the throat growing 1 suddenly very prominent, continuing 

 so to the vent, where it becomes smaller to the tail ; behind the vent, 

 the body is pretty much compressed ; the colour of the head is 

 dusky ; the back and sides yellow, which becoming lighter by de- 

 grees is lost in the white of the belly ; the lateral line is scarcely dis- 

 cernible, but runs nearer the back than to the belly, till towards the 

 middle of the fish ; in its passage backwards it curves a little down- 

 wards and runs to the tail." Number of fin rays — 



" D. 49; P. 21 ; V. 5 ; A. 37 ; C. 35."— Yarrell. 



It is readily distinguished from its congeners by having but one 

 dorsal fin. 



The Torsk is scarcely known on the southern shores, being- 

 confined principally to the northern seas. It is said to be 

 occasionally taken in the Firth of Forth, and brought to 

 the Edinburgh market, where the young of the Ling is fre- 

 quently mistaken for it. Mr Yarrell states it " to be a 

 northern fish, scarcely occurring below 60° or above 73° ; 

 not migrating regularly, and therefore rarely seen by the 

 ichthyologists of the South. Plentiful on the coast of Nor- 

 way as far as Finmark, off the Faroe Islands, and the west 

 and south coasts of Iceland ; rare on the north and east 

 coasts of Iceland. It must be uncommon in Greenland, as 

 Fabricius only knew it from the report of the natives. Just 

 touches the most northern point of Denmark, at Skagen in 

 Jutland, where it is sometimes taken : not at all in the south. 

 Approaches the land early in the year in shoals, that of 

 Iceland in January ; remains there in company with the 

 five-bearded, and goes away again late in the summer, 

 Lives in deep water, and is therefore seldom taken, even 

 when it is most abundant. Prefers a rocky bottom, on 

 which sea-weeds grow. Never found any thing in its sto- 

 mach ; and this has probably given rise to the saying, that 

 it lives on the juice of sea-weeds. Spawns in April and 



