306 ANACANTHIKI. 



ment of the second dorsal. Colours — Back gray, becoming .lighter on the sides 

 and beneath : dorsal, anal, and caudal fins edged with white : a darkish blotch at 

 the posterior end of the first dorsal fin and a more distinct one on the end of the 

 second dorsal. In the ymmrj the back and sides are yellowish- olive, broken up 

 and divided into patterns by pale lilac lines. 



Varieties. — Ogilby (Zool. 1876, p. 4904) observes that a variety is common 

 at Portrush, co. Antrim, " it is of a pale violet colour, irregularly mottled with 

 dark purple, almost black spots, and grows to the same size as the usual kind : 

 it is caught only on a particular part of the bank, and is called by the fishermen 

 ' spotted ling.' " Similarly spotted ones are taken oif Mevagissey and termed shi/p- 

 vn-ights, having a resemblance to the spilt pitch on the clothes of these mechanics. 



Names. — Ling is stated by most authors to be a corruption from " long," 

 because this fish is similar in appearance to the cod but more elongated ! Kellin, 

 Aberdeen : lahan, Moray Firth : drizzle if small : it has also been known, according 

 to T. Satchell, as ling-drizzle, uUc, spotted-ling, white-ling, and stake. Be leiuj, 

 Dutch. La lingue, French. 



Habits. — A ground fish, preferring deep water and rocky places and caverns. 

 It is very tenacious of life and survives severe injuries. Mr. Reed took a salmon 

 27 inches long out of a ling 6 feet in length, captured off Wick. Couch found 

 skulpins, Gallionymus lyra, and even a " rough-hound " of considerable size inside a 

 ling. Like the pike of our fresh waters, this fish has the credit which it apparently 

 well deserves of greedily bolting any sort of foreign substance it comes across. 

 One was captured some years since off Brandon Head, county Kerry, inside 

 which was a pewter flask containing two glasses of ardent spirit. Another was 

 taken November 17th, 1881, which weighed 251b.; in the stomach of this fish 

 Mr. Boal, of Consett, found a three-gill bottle, some herrings, and a codling. 

 There were also several pieces of parchment and bits of sealing-wax, which induce 

 the supposition that the fish had swallowed one of those naournful messages of 

 shipwreck which have recently been so numerous. 



Means of capture. — Hand-lines, also long-lines. The ling fishermen in Galway 

 generally remain out a week, but every night seek shelter in a harbour in Boffin 

 Island. In the north of Ireland ling and conger are generally fished for at the 

 same time. In the Orkneys the long lines contain several hundred hooks placed 

 at a certain distance apart, baited at night, examined and rebaited the next 

 morning : it is by no means uncommon to find that dog-fish and sharks have 

 cleared the lines prior to the fishermen's visit. 



Baits. — A slice of plaice, flounder, herring, conger or cuttle. Usually it refuses 

 bait unless living or very fresh : while it does not appear to be partial to 

 Crustacea. 



Breeding. — Spawns in spring up to June, Pennant observing that they 

 " deposit their eggs in the soft oozy ground at the mouth of the Tees : and at 

 that time the males separate from the females, and resort to some rocky ground 

 near Plamborough Head, ^\here the fishermen take great numbers without ever 

 finding any of the females or roed fish among them." After spawning they 

 remain out of condition till about August. 



[hcs. — When salted, ling is a considerable article of commerce, especially 

 with Spain and Italy. When in season the liver is of a white colour, and affords 

 a large amount of oil, which is used for lamps, medicinal or other purposes. 

 Their roe is consumed as food or preserved in brine, and is often employed 

 for attracting other marine fishes to localities where their capture would be 

 facilitated. From the sounds or air-bladders of this fish a considerable amount 

 of eiiarso isinglass is manufactured, similar to that obtained from the cod. Ling 

 split for curing should not be less than 26 inches from the shoulder to the tail : 

 smaller ones being termed drizzles. 



As food. — Is mostly preferred salted, and the periods for its capture are in 

 Zetland from May 20th to August 12th (Edmonston) : Yorkshire from February 

 to May, or even to the end of that month : January and February in the south- 

 west of England : and March until May in the north of Ireland (Brabazon). 

 Scilly has long been celebrated for its dry ling, and it mny perhaps derive its 



