gadid^f;. 307 



name from silli, being the Cornish term for this fish, though it is sometimes 

 made to include the cod also (R. Couch). Rowell observes that when boiled it 

 is much like cod, but firmer and whiter, and has a finer flavour, but to make a 

 dinner of it, it should be baked, Avell seasoned with nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 

 a lump of the liver cooked with it. When thus prepared it makes a dinner one 

 can eat with great relish, and feel very satisfied after it. 



Whether this fish is as common on our shores as it was formerly may be 

 questioned. In L'Estrange's Household Book, a.d. 1519, exists the following 

 entry. " Item. — Pd. for half a hundred lynge, xd. Item. — For carrying of ye 

 same lynge fr. ye Bulle to ye comon Stath, iiijj." 



Habitat. — This species has been recorded from Spitzbergen to the extreme 

 western portion of the Mediterranean, but is most abundant along the coasts of 

 northern Europe to Iceland, more especially in the German Ocean and off Norway. 

 To the north of Iceland it becomes rare, neither is it abundant off Greenland and 

 the Faroe Islands, while it is absent from the Baltic. It is found off Newfound- 

 land. 



This species of the Gadidce, next to the cod and coal-fish, is the most common 

 fish of the Orkneys (Low). Largo quantities are likewise taken off the western 

 isles. It has been mentioned as being present at Wick (Reed) : Banff (Edward) : 

 Aberdeen (Sim) : common at St. Andrew's (Mcintosh) : in the Firth of Forth 

 it is taken with lines principally about the Isle of May, where it is found more 

 plentiful than further up the estuary : occasionally small ones are met with 

 near Inchkeith, but scarcely ever above Queensferry (Parnell). Off Yorkshire 

 it is resident and abundant (Yorkshire Vertebrata) : common in the Norfolk 

 estuary but not of large size (Lowe) : while along the south coast it is much 

 more common in Cornwall than off Devon (Parfitt), becoming abundant off Scilly. 

 It is found nearly all round the Irish coast. 



The example figured is 17 inches long, from Devonshire. Thompson records 

 one of 59 lb. weight from Ireland : Reed of an example 6 ft. long and weighing 

 about GO lb., taken at Wick in March, 1872 : Parnell heard of one which measured 

 7 ft. in length, and Couch also was told of a Scilly example of 124 lb. weight. 





