SCORP^NIDtE. 43 



Length of head 3 to 3i, of caudal fin 5|, height of body 3i to 3| in the total 

 length. Eye — situated high up in the head, diameter 8^ in the length of the 

 head, 1 diameter from the end of the snout, and 1 apart. Interorbital space flat. 

 A supraorbital spine. Five spines along the posterior and lower edges of the 

 preopercle : two well developed opercular spines, one also at its lower angle and one 

 at the shoulder. The maxilla reaches at least to beneath the middle of the eye. 

 Lower jaw very prominent. Teeth — villiform ones on jaws, vomer, palatine bones 

 but not on the tongue. Fins — dorsal spines strong and sharp, increasing in 

 length to the 4th or 6th, but they are not so high as the rays, which are branched. 

 Pectoral nearly as long as the head, its lower 10 or 11 rays simple and unbranched. 

 Second anal spine the strongest, but the 3rd a little the longest. Caudal slightly 

 emarginate. Scales — ctenoid and in irregular rows : there are about 15 between 

 the lateral-line and the base of the first dorsal soft ray over the commencement 

 of which fin some fine ones are continued. On the head they cover the cheeks 

 and even the jaws. Air-hladder — oval, simple, and destitute of any appendages, 

 occupying nearly the superior 2/3 of the abdominal cavity. Golours — vermilion 

 or carmine-red, becoming lightest beneath : fins likewise red. 



CoUett, I.e. considers Sebastes vivvparus, Kroyer, which has a large dark 

 opercular spot, and is spotted with or entirely brown, as identical with this species. 

 Lutken (Vid. Med. 1876, p. 358), after examining 20 of each variety, believes 

 them to be distinct, 8. viviparus being more littoral and less arctic in its range 

 than 8. Norwegicus. Gray, I.e. remarks on an example taken off Jutland. 



I have already referred (p. 7) to this fish being the Perch, the head of which 

 used to be shown in a church in Lapland, and has been erroneously considered as 

 belonging to a gigantic Perca fluviatilis. 



Names. — Norway haddocJc and Norwegian carp, which have reference to the 

 locality where it abounds : Bergylt. 



Sabits. — Active, voracious, and apparently of a pugnacious disposition, it is 

 said to feed on custacea and small fiat fishes. As it is usually captured at 

 profound depths, it is believed to usually reside there, especially in rocky bays, 

 where the distance to the bottom is very great. 



Means of capture. — Long lines baited as for cod or ling. 



Breeding. — The young are said to be first observed about June, and it has been 

 asserted that they come forth alive, and accompany their parent for a con- 

 siderable time. 



Diseases. — Nilsson observes that not uncommonly large numbers are found 

 floating dying or dead on the sea, with their eyes protruding and their stomachs 

 thrust out from their mouths. This is ascribed to some sudden whirlpool or 

 other marine disturbance, having suddenly carried them into a higher stratum of 

 water, when due to the superincumbent weight being removed, their air-bladder 

 has expanded and occasioned the foregoing phenomena. 



Uses. — In times, now probably gone by, the Greenlanders used the spines from 

 the fins of this fish as needles. 



As food. — Pennant says it was held in some esteem at the table : and Pabricius 

 that, although lean, it is of an agreeable taste, and eaten either cooked fresh or 

 after having been dried. 



Habitat. — This fish is an inhabitant of the Northern Ocean. In Greenland it 

 is stated not to be common (Saxby, Zool. 1871, p. 2653), occurring on the south- 

 west coast of Spitzbergen (Malmgren, CEfv. Sven. Vet. Ak. Porh. 1866, p. 508), 

 while in the Faroe Islands it is said to be frequently captured by the cod-fishers, 

 and is termed hongafisshur, and red-pierch, while it is not uncommon off Norway. 

 It is likewise found in Greenland, where Saxby (Zool. 1871, p. 2553) states it is 

 not common ; it extends certainly as far south along the American coast as New 



York. 



Pennant first recorded this fish as British : Fleming, who had also observed 

 it in Zetland, remarked upon one seen by Dr. Skene on the coast of Aberdeenshire : 



