266 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



Commercial fish may be divided generally into " round 

 fish "and "flat fish." 



The round fish include the cod, conger, haddock, hake, 

 herring, ling, mackerel, torsk, pilchard, whiting, etc. 



The principal fiat fish are soles, turbot, halibut, plaice,, 

 skate, and brill. 



The fish families that yield the largest food supply are 

 the Gadidm, embracing the codfish, the haddock, ling, 

 hake, whiting, etc.; the Pleuronectidm, embracing the 

 turbot, sole, brill, flounder, and other flat fish ; the 

 Clupeidce, furnishing the herring, sardine, sprat, etc. Then 

 we have the family of the skates, known scientifically 

 as the Raiidce. The mackerel is also a plentiful fish, and 

 when procured in a thoroughly fresh state, ifc is of excel- 

 lent service for table purposes. The _:Murenidce, or eel 

 family, is also in great demand. 



It is scarcely possible to follow any systematic classifi- 

 cation in treating of the catch and consumption of fish 

 in various countries, nor can they be arranged entirely 

 under families, hence the remarks and descriptions must, 

 to some extent be disjointed and discursive. 



Codfish. — The following was the take of cod, ling, and 

 hake by the Scotch fisheries in 1878. Number of fish 

 taken and cured in vessels, 2,560,142 fish, of which were 

 cured and dried 55,257 cwt. Number cured on shore 

 3,658,583, of which 128,552 cwt. were cured and dried, and 

 9,219 barrels in pickle. This shows a total of 6,218,725 

 fish taken. The exports were 94,970 cwt. (out of 183,809 

 cwt.), which is the largest export for many years. 



Iceland appears to be a more reliable field for the cod- 

 fishing than either Faroe or Eockall. At Stomoway, and 

 upon other parts of the west coast of Scotland, the fishery 

 did well. 



The fish are cleaned, split, slightly salted and packed 

 in barrels, twenty to twenty -four fish in a barrel. They 

 are sold at Aberdeen at 40s. to 55s. a barrel. 



The fiesh of the cod contains a large quantity of 

 creatine. The fish are in best condition from October to 

 January. It has been remarked that the immense 



