THE BLENNY FAMILY. 201 



of echinoderms, crustaceans and mollusks. Its claim to be 

 considered a food-fish can be made good, although its forbidding 

 aspect has no doubt militated against its becoming more popular. 

 Considerable quantities of cat-fishes, after decapitation and 

 flaying, find their way into the market and are known as 

 ' monk.' Numerous authorities who have tasted this fish 

 speak highly of it, and it is interesting to note their various 

 comparisons. Cuvier remarks that ' its flesh resembles that of 

 an eel' Pennant states that 'the fishermen at Scarborough 

 prefer it to halibut,' and Clarke, another Yorkshire observer, 

 states that the fishermen describe it as 'the best fish that swims': 

 Buckland compares its flesh to a ' veal chop,' Donovan to 

 ' mackerel ' and De Kay, (if smoked) to ' salmon.' Lastly, 

 Cuvier states that the Icelanders use its flesh for food, its skin 

 for shagreen, and its gall for soap ; and we know that good shoes 

 are made of the skin of the Norwegian species. In spite of all 

 this weighty testimony to the value of the cat-fish, Woodward 

 in 1886 writes — 'yet it is a fish which the majority would not 

 receive gratis,' and there is still a great deal of popular prejudice 

 which retards its sale, though many fishermen and their 

 families eat it. 



As regards its spawning-period, there is some uncertainty. 

 Woodward makes the statement that — 'it deposits its spawn 

 in early summer, amongst the seaweed,' — and Pennant also 

 remarks that its spawning-period extends over May and June. 

 Even in so recent a work as the new edition of the Scandinavian 

 Fishes all that is given is " the spawning-season is stated to 

 occur in spring, the time of year when it is oftenest taken." 

 These dates do not appear to agree with conclusions stated 

 elsewhere, and drawn from an examination of the ovaries, 

 which clearly point to a much later spawning-season, probably 

 extending over the months of November, December and 

 January, with a margin on either side. The females are smaller 

 in size than the males and are in a slight minority. One 

 female may produce as many as 40,000 eggs. The eggs 

 (Plate I, fig. 17) are of the demersal type, being deposited in 

 large masses by the female amongst the rocks and weed of 

 the shallow waters. Like most demersal types, they cling 



