266 THE COD FAMILY. 



surface darting actively about, and they were easily captured by 

 a large tow-net. The mate, who saw them first, thought they 

 were being chased by a large squid ; but this was not seen by 

 either Mr Green, Prof. Haddon or Mr Holt. The latter was of 

 opinion that they had not come from any considerable depth 

 but were at or near the surface. In length they ranged between 

 .5| and 6 inches, and in the fresh condition the dorsum was of 

 a dark greenish grey and the sides silvery. They were feeding 

 on copepods and other pelagic forms. Unless the spawning- 

 period is earlier than that of most gadoids such forms could 

 hardly reach 5 inches in July. One of 15 inches mentioned 

 by Oouch in May was probably in its second or third year. 

 Holt and Calderwood further observe " while, as Dr Gunther 

 remarks, the fish habitually lives in somewhat deeper water 

 than its congeners, it seems probable that in its immature 

 condition it is to a great extent pelagic and migratory." 



The Green Cod. (Gadus virens, L.) 



This fish, which is also known as the saithe and coal-fish, 

 very closely approaches the cod both in size, habits and structure, 

 and it is not therefore surprising to find that its life-history 

 and larval forms have the same close resemblance. 



The breeding-season is said to commence in January and 

 probably continues through February, March and April. Parnell' 

 observes that the spawn is deposited in the early part of the 

 spring, and the fry are seen in June, 2 inches in length. Couch 

 gives the same spawning-season, and mentions that the young 

 are caught off the rocks in Scotland. Day writes — in Cornwall 

 they spawn in spring. Other authorities place the spawning- 

 period in spring, and Brook gives December to April. In the 

 Cattegat it spawns at the end of March and beginning of 

 April; whereas, in Massachusetts Bay, Earll found the spawning- 

 season to be November and December. The ripe eggs were 

 procured and examined in April 1892^. The females, as in the 

 case of the cod and pollack, become greatly distended by the 



1 Fishes of the Forth. 



2 W. C. M. 10th S. F. B. Report, p. 287. 



