&ADEASS AND PLETTEONECTS. 335 



script of his own ' colle/ or glue fish ; and having got 

 thus far ('cen'est que le premier pas qui coute') he in- 

 geniously wonders why this particular species should be 

 selected to receive a name from this substance, which it 

 only yields in common with so many other individuals, 

 several of whom furnish it ia yet more copious supplies. 

 Cuvier says that coal-fish is derived from colin, a word 

 by which French sailors are in the habit of designating 

 it ; and this would do very well if the dark brown hue of 

 the body, whence the northern words kohl and coal-fish, 

 and the corresponding Latin word carbonaritis, used by 

 Linnseus for the species, were not a better and the obvi- 

 ous one. Having fished for the pollack's (G. pollachius) 

 name for some time to no purpose, we give it up : as to 

 the unde derivatur of the word burbot (a fresh-water 

 gadean), we are equally without information ; lastly, no 

 fitter or more characteristic name than Merlucius, or sea 

 pike, could have been devised for the all- voracious fish 

 that bears it. Having now called over the whole mus- 

 ter-roll of names belonging to the present section, we 

 proceed to introduce a few to our readers; and first 

 the Gadus morrhua, or Cod.* 



It would be diflScidt to exaggerate the importance of 

 this most serviceable fish: 'When,' writes an accom- 

 phshed author, ' towards the commencemejit of the tenth 

 century, Gaspard de Corte Real (a Portuguese gentleman, 

 jealous of the Spaniards, and their rival ia the desire of 

 discovering new countries) cast anchor ia the midst of 

 the fogs of the savage coasts of a sterile island, and landed 

 for the first time in Newfoundland, he certainly did not 

 think that he was opening for Europe a source of riches 



* Sable, a chevron between three cod-fisb naiant, argent, are 

 borne as arms by the family of Codd ; and azure, three cod-fish 

 naiant in pale, argent, are the arms of the family of Beck. — 

 Moule. 



