302 ANACANTHINI. 



this fish takes the place of the cod of the more northern counties. Bellamy, 

 writing in 1839, observes that they were more abundant formerly, so that it 

 would appear that it is gradually decreasing in numbers from some reason 

 unknown. 



Means of capture. — Line-fishing by night-time in midwater, or beam-trawling 

 during the day at the bottom, by which latter method some are also captured 

 throughout the year. So common are they in certain seasons that Couch mentions 

 4000 having been landed in one day in Mount's Bay ; and on another occasion 

 1100 were taken by one boat in two nights. 



Baits. — In some localities a slice from one of its own kind is found to be a 

 good bait, but such as are suitable for the cod may be employed. 



Breeding. — In the spring months, but may be delayed in cold seasons : thus 

 Couch remarks that in 1837 spawning in Cornwall was not accomplished until 

 August. In the report of the sea fisheries of England and Wales for 1879, it ia 

 observed that at Mevagissey these fish have been falling ofi" in numbers for the 

 last fifteen years, due it was surmised to Plymouth trawlers catching hundreds of 

 thousands of baby hakes a foot or so long. 



Uses. — Formerly it used to be salted in large quantities and exported, 

 especially to Bilboa in Spain. In this country salted hake used to be known as 

 " Poor John." Even now it is extensively salted by fishermen, especially for 

 their own consumption. It is more appreciated at present than formerly, as 

 due to the great price of fish it is being forced into the market. Cornish 

 observed in 1878 that twenty years since a burn, or " burden for one person " of 

 twenty-one fish, obtained 'Ss 6d, a high wholesale price in West Cornwall. Now 

 the price is 15s to 20s a bum, and the retail Is to Is 6d each fish. 



As food. — It is coarse, but at Plymouth all these slimy fishes, according to 

 Yarrell, have the mucus first removed with hot water and a little alkali, otherwise 

 they are spoiled. It may be cut into steaks and fried, or cooked in pies. 



Habitat. — From the northern seas along the coast of Scandinavia, the German 

 Ocean and European shores of the Atlantic to Madeira, while it is also distributed 

 through the Mediterranean, especially along its northern shores, and into the 

 Adriatic. It is common in Greenland, but whether it is the same species which 

 extends to Cape Hatteras appears doubtful, as in the American Fishery reports 

 it is recorded as M. bilinearis, Gill. 



It is found around the British coasts, being much more numerous in some 

 localities than in others. It is. generally rare round Scotland (Fleming) but 

 recorded as present in the Orkneys and at Zetland (W. Baikie) : Banff (Edward): 

 Aberdeen (Sim) : in the Moray Firth during July and August, when it is found 

 following the herrings (Gordon) • at Musselburgh one was taken in 1836 and 

 sent to the Edinburgh market, where it appeared to be unknown (Parnell). In 

 Yorkshire it is resident but seldom caught : it is occasionally seen on the Dogger 

 Bank, but becomes more plentiful towards the coast of Holland (Yorkshire 

 Vertebrata) : in February, 1847, one about 30 inches long was caught off 

 Sherringham (Lowe, Fauna of Norfolk). It is however along the S. and S.W. 

 coasts of England that this fish most abounds, becoming numerous in Devonshire 

 and common in Cornwall, especially during the autumn and winter m.onths. 



In Ireland it is found all round the coast, but most common on the south. OS 

 the coast of Waterford on the Nymph Bank there was formerly a large fishery for 

 hake, which arrived in shoals twice yearly : in June, or the mackerel season and 

 September, or the commencement of the herring season. In 1746, Smith, who 

 wrote the history of the county of Waterford, complained that the fishery was 

 declining. Thompson observed that he had been informed by Mr. Nimmo that 

 upon the Galway coast, commonly in November, four or five men in one boat will 

 take with hand-lines from 600 to 700 : sometimes, but very rarely, 1000 are 

 captured, but only when herrings are in the Bay. The Bay of Galway in old 

 maps is termed the Bay of Hahes. 



The example figured was from Plymouth, and is 14 inches in length. The 

 fish frequently attains to 4 feet. Mr. Dunn observes that the largest he has seen 

 was 24 lb. weight. 



