280 ANACANTHINI. 



water pond about 200 feet long and 5 fathoms deep, in which the tide ebbs 

 find flows twice a day. All the fish appear to thrive well, especially the cod, 

 which are found to be firmer in the flesh and thicker across the shoulders than 

 those obtained f i-om the Firth of Forth (Parnell). Yarrell likewise alludes to 

 similarly formed vivaria as existent in the Orkne3'^s and in Fife. 



Means of capture.* — Along our coasts most of the fishing for cod is carried on 

 by means of long- or hand-lines, although a few of the fishes may occasionally be 

 netted, as is extensively done ofi' Norway. The principal English fishery is off 

 the Dogger Bank, between England and Denmark, and on Cromer Knoll on the 

 Norfolk coast, where long-lining is engaged in throughout the winter until about 

 April in the former locality and February in the latter. Many vessels early in 

 the year proceed to Newfoundland, where the season extends from February until 

 April. Olf Wick, this fishing, which is largely carried on during February, is 

 considered to terminate upon Marcb 16th. It would fill up too much space to 

 follow out our cod-fisheries here, but it may be remarked that some are taken 

 throughout the year around our coasts, and during the summer it is not unusual 

 for wanderers to come close in shore, and be captured in the bag nets set 

 for salmon. 



Bait. — It is very voracious, devouring everything eatable. Mussel are most 

 used in Moray Firth, or the Limpet (Fatella), also "Badgers," a common shell- 

 fish, Lutraria vulgaris, and the " spout-fish," tiolen, siliqim, are very killing, but 

 more especially the " sand launce " and " herring." 



The " cod murderer " in use at Peterhead consists of a long piece of lead, 

 either round or flat, with snoods passed through holes at intervals, bearing a 

 hook at either end without bait. The cod strikes against the lead, and one or 

 other of the hooks generally secures it (Angler's Note-book, p. 48). 



Breeding. ^The cod arrives from the deep sea, and commences spavsTiing in 

 our seas, usually in January, and continues this operation until April. In the 

 Firth of Forth, however, Parnell observed that they begin to deposit their spawn 

 in the months of May or June, and it must be remarked that they are much later 

 in cold and boisterous seasons than in calm and mild ones. They are very 

 prolific : Leuwenbeok counted 9,384,000 eggs in one of medium size : Harmer, 

 3,686,760 in one taken at the end of December: Buckland, 1,800,000 in an 

 11^ lb. fish in March, while he found in 7f lb. of cod roe, 6,867,000, and such a 

 quantity sometimes exists, that from fish of 21 lb. weight, 121b. of roe have been 

 removed. Off Norway, Sars observed that at the spawning period the cod 

 became restless, the males and females swimming about very rapidly, while 

 spawning was continued some months, during which period the fish get out of 

 condition. The females as a rule were nearer to the surface than the males, as 

 proved by netting, for the drag nets almost exclusively took males, whereas the 

 floating nets secured females. The ova was found to float on the sea, unless the 

 specific gravity of the latter was altered by the admixture of rain or river 

 water, as well as on the death of the embryo, when they sank. The egg floats, 

 due to containing a fine globule of oil, while its heaviest part is where the 

 micropyle exists, and which is consequently turned dovmwards or towards the 

 ascending milt. Hatching occurred on the 18th day, while in America it was 

 found to take place between the 13th and 50th days, according to the heat of the 



* As showing the productiveness of these fisheries, those of Norway closed in May, 1881. The 

 total yield of this season's fishery has been estimated as amounting to twenty-five millions and 

 three quarters of cod-fish (of which number twenty-one and a half millions have been salted), 

 48,000 tons or barrels of liver, 2600 barrels medicinal train oil, and 31,000 barrels of roe. Outside 

 the island stations the fishing yielded five millions of cod-fish (600,000 of which have been salted), 

 11,700 barrels of liver, seventy tons of medicinal train oil, and six thousand tons of roe. Of the 

 smaller fisheries, which have also closed, the two principal fishing stations have produced : the one 

 near Sondmore 160,000 vog (18 kilogrammes each) of codfish, 5000 tons of roe, 'JiiOO barrels of 

 medicinal and 1800 tons of other kinds of train oil ; the other station near Eomsdal, 600,000 

 cod-fish, 450 barrels of medif.inal and 200 tons of common train oil, and 600 tons of roe. In June 

 it was observed that the Arctic cod-fishing this year has proved a failure. Five of the fishing 

 vessels from North Faroe have returned to Shetland with takes ranging from only 2000 to 4000 

 cod. One vessel, the Wal/rus, is re|)orted to have 7000, the highest take of the fleet ; a second trip 

 will probably be made later in the season. 



