288 AlfACANTHINI. 



same spot. At twiliglit it sallies out, as it usually feeds only at niglit time, 

 extending its excursions over the higli grounds and on to the low rocks and sands 

 beyond, but not going very far. Assemblages of these fish are known as "chains 

 of bibs," two or more of which may be found so close together as to be merely 

 divided by a ledge of rock of a few feet in width ; one chain of bibs may be 

 light coloured and the contiguous one banded with dark. In mild winters it 

 remains in these haunts, but if cold and stormy it retires to the deep sea, 

 returning again in spring. It also appears partial to living inside wrecked 

 vessels. It prefers rough ground or shelving rocks arising from a sandy soil. 

 The knowledge of the exact localities where these fish reside has been kept in 

 some fishermen's families for generations. It thrives pretty well in an aquarium, 

 but after a time becomes of a lighter colour. Thompson mentions finding small 

 crabs (Brachyuri) and a Trochus tumidus in the stomach of one which he opened ; 

 while another contained fish remains, it also eats worms. 



Means of capture. — Line fishing, they are very voracious, and the exact spot 

 they reside in has to be chosen and the line must be near the bottom, while on 

 it 3 or 4 hooks may be used. 



Baits. — In Dublin Bay it takes best on a sunny afternoon at low water, when 

 other fish refuse to bite, and refuses no bait (Blake-Knox). 



Breeding. — Spawns towards the end of the winter in Cornwall. 



As food. — Good eating when two pounds in weight or upwards, but its 

 numerous bones deteriorate from its use. It rapidly decomposes after death, 

 which likewise detracts from its value. 



Habitat. — From Scandinavia along the Atlantic coasts of Great Britain and 

 Europe, but is only a wanderer into the Mediterranean ; but stragglers have been 

 taken as far as Italy. Occurs in Zetland (W. Baikie) : Banffshire common, but 

 is mostly used for bait (Edward) : Aberdeen (Sim) : not uncommon at St. 

 Andrew's (Mcintosh), and found in Berwickshire (Johnston) : also reported as 

 not uncommon in Yorkshire (Yorkshire Vertebrata) : occurs off Norfolk (Yarrell), 

 the Sussex coast, and becon^es very common along the Devonshire coast (Parfitt), 

 and numerous in Cornwall, especially du^ing the autumn and winter. Yarrell 

 alludes to its presence in Carnarvonshire as well as in Loch Eoyle. 



In Ireland, according to Thompson, of occasional occurrence, bat on all 

 quarters of the coast : and examples occur at all seasons of the year in the Belfast 

 market, where he observes the females are termed hen-fish and crow-fish in Galway 

 Bay. Knox-Blake observes of the Dublin coast that it is one of the commonest 

 fish : in Kingstown Harbour the fry are often caught on a hook and line in scores, 

 up to 4 lb. weight. 



The example figured is 9 inches long, and from the coast of Sussex : it seldom 

 exceeds a foot in length, but Yarrell mentions having seen one 16 inches. 



4. Gadus minutus, Plate LXXXI. 



Anthim secunda species, Rondel, vi, c. 12, p. 191, c. fig. ; Gesner, pp. 56, 64. 

 Asellus mollis minor. Will. p. 171 ; Ray, p. 56. Asellus mollis minimus, Ray, 

 p. 163, f. 6. C?adMs, sp. Artedi, Synon. p. 36, no. 8, Genera, p. 21, t.o. 7. Poor or 

 Power cod-fish, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 185, pi. xxx (Ed. 1812) iii, 

 p. 249, pi. xxxiv. 



Gadus minutus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 438 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1164 ; Bonn. Atl. 

 Ich. p. 47, pi. xxix, f. 104; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 141 (PBloch, Pische Deuts. ii, 

 p. 167, t Ixvii, f. I ; Bl. Schn. p. 7) ; Turton, p. 90 ; Jenyns, p. 444 ; Fries och 

 Ekstr. Skand. Fisk. p. 78, t. xvii ; Retz. Fauna Suec. p. 319 ; Nilss. Skand. Faun, 

 iv, p. 647; Thompson, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 57, and Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 181 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 335; Steind. Ich. Span. u. Port. 1868, p. 38; Mcintosh, 

 Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 178 ; Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 109 ; Winther, Ich. Dan- 

 Mar, p. 29 ; Giglioli, Peso. Ital. p. 36 ; Moreau, Poisson France, iii, p. 231. 



Gadus luscus, Bl. Schn. p. 8, tab. ii. 



Gadus capelanus, Lacep. ii, p. 411 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 111. 



Morua oapelanus, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 226. 



Morhua minuta, Flem. p. 191 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) ii, p. 161, c. fig- 

 (Ed. 2) ii, p. 241 (Ed. 3) J, p. 544 ; White, Catal. p. 89. 



