THE COD FAMILY AND THE SAND-EELS 265 



and another, measuring i3|- in., at the same time between 

 Leith and Portobello. 



The egg is known to be distinct from that of the others, 

 but has not been very satisfactorily described. When rather more 

 than an inch in length, the present species may be distinguished 

 from the last by the longer barbel on the chin and the smaller 

 front dorsal fin. The central barbel on the upper lip appears to 

 be of later development than the rest. 



The Three-bearded Rockling {M. tricirratd) — the young of 

 which is known as the " Silvery Gade," a name originally 

 bestowed in the early years of last century by Colonel 

 Montagu — is the largest of British rocklings, and examples 

 have been caught which measured 20 in. 



This rockling is distinguished from the rest not only by the 

 possession of only three barbels, all of them long, one on 

 the chin, the other two on either side of the snout, but also by 

 black spots covering the head, body, and fins. These spots are 

 not, however, found until the fish has grown to a length of 

 3 in. or thereabouts. It is found to take baited hooks 'lying 

 on the bottom rather more readily than the rest, but its habits 

 are not otherwise known to differ much from theirs. 



It appears to be somewhat more generally distributed 

 round our coasts, being fairly common in Devon and Corn- 

 wall, and yet more plentiful on parts of the Irish coast, but 

 comparatively scarce in Scotch waters. Herdman records the 

 species from Port Erin Bay and the Dee estuary. It is said to 

 spawn early in the year, but neither egg nor larva has been 

 studied in our laboratories. 



The Torsk {Brosmius brosme), or Tusk, is the most 

 northern member of the family, and is our sole representative 

 of a third group, having only a single long dorsal fin. While 

 plentiful on the north coast of Scotland and among the 

 Shetland group, and there found in both deep and shallow 

 water, it is not so far known in the English Channel. It grows 



