200 NATURAL riiSTOllY OF AQtfATIC AKIMALS. 



J.— THE COD FAMILY AND ITS KINDEED. 



The Codfish and its allies constitute, from an economical point of view, the most important of 

 all the families of fishes, containing, as it does, a large number of species, most of them of consider- 

 able size, distributed throughout all parts of the northern hemisphere, usually found together in 

 great numbers, readily captured, and easily preserved for future use. 



An elaborate discussion of the geographical distribution of the cod family, and its relations to 

 fisheries and commerce, by Karl Dambeck, was published in " Gsea," in 1877. A translation of this 

 paper may be found in the Eeport of the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Part Y, 

 1877, pp. 531-557. This paper is not without value, although it contains many false statements, 

 the writer appearing to have been but slightly acquainted with the more recent ichthyological dis- 

 coveries. In the translation referred to, the paper has been revised and annotated by Dr. Bean, and 

 is sufBciently accurate so far as the American species are concerned. 



65. THE COD— GADUS MORRHUA. 



Names op the Codfish. — Mr. J. Carson Brevoort, of New York, contributes the following 

 interesting sketch of the names applied to the cod family by the different nations of Europe : 



"The appellations under which the weather-dried Codfish, split and stretched on a short stick, 

 is known throughout the civilized world can all be traced to one common root, based upon the 

 mode of preparation for the market. 



"Among the Greeks the large Codfish were called Bacchi, from Bacchus, a rod. By the Latins 

 the fish was named Oadus, from a Sanscrit root cad or gad, a rod. We find this root in English in 

 'goad,' and, perhaps, in 'cat-o'-nine- tails'; in Gaelic gad and godan, signifying a small rod. By the 

 Iberians the dried Cod were called Bacalaos, from Baculeum, a small stick.' This points also to 

 the root of the French Baguette, a rod, Bilboquet, the toy known as cuj) and ball, really a sticlc and 

 ball, and other words. By the Anglo-Saxons it was called the God, from the word gad or goad, a 

 rod. By the Germans it was known as the Stoclcfiscli, from Stocic, a stick. 



"The Hollanders varied a little from this, and as far back as the year 1400 called it the 

 Kaheljaauw, which seems to be from the Dutch gabel, a fork. They also called it the Bakkeljauue. 



"The French Morue is not from the above root. It may be from the Celtic Mor, the sea. The 

 French, however, never prepared the Cod by drying it on a stick, but salted it as the Mortte verte, 

 or green Cod. The French Molue is merely a change in the liquid consonants. 



"When the Cod is dried on the downs it is called Dunflsh, from the Gaelic root Duin, a hill. 

 If dried on the rocks it becomes the Eoclc Cod, or the Klippfislc of the Norwegians. Among these 

 last the Cod is called the Dorset, or Torslc, in English Tuslc, from the Gothic Biirren, to dry. 



"The English 'Aberdeen fish,' or French Laberdan, is from the Gaelic Ahar, the mouth; Ban, 

 a river, or fish caught near the river's mouth." 



These remarks are suggestive in the extreme, since they explain the origin of almost all of 

 the names now applied to this species both in its fresh and cured condition.^ 



' The rod held by Mercury was called a Baouhum. 



^ Skeat in his Etymological Dictionary, recently published, does not confirm the views advanced by Mr. Brevoort, 

 remarking, "I suppose that this word cod must be the same as the Middle English codde or cod, a husk, bag, bolster; 

 though the resemblance of the fish to a bolster is but fanciful. It is obvious that Shakespeare knew nothing of the 

 Linnseau name gadua (Greek yaSoi), nor is the derivation of cod from gadua at all satisfactory." 



