Fishes. 1825 



taken from the stomach of a single fish, and sometimes so many as 

 seventeen closely packed together. But it very rarely occurs that a 

 hake taken with a line has this gorged character ; this arises from a 

 peculiar habit it has of ejecting the contents of the stomach in at- 

 tempting to escape. It breeds very early in the year, from January 

 to March, and the young very rarely take a bait, though they feed on 

 the living pilchard. The outline of the hake varies very much. 

 The head in some species seems elongated, and the dorsal and abdo- 

 minal fins are waved and lobulated ; but the figure in Mr. Yarrell's 

 first edition of his 'Fishes' is very characteristic of the general 

 appearance. 



Ling, Lota molva. Common. Scilly has long been celebrated for 

 its dry ling, and it may perhaps derive its name from Zilli, being the 

 Cornish name of this fish, though it is sometimes made to include the 

 cod also. It is a ground fish, and swims stealthily about the rocky 

 declivities of the sea. It prefers for its habitation deep marine val- 

 leys, with overhanging ledges, and deep and circumscribed caverns, 

 in which the fishermen think it breeds. When these caverns or val- 

 leys become densely inhabited by them, they migrate in large shoals 

 to other situations ; such is the opinion of those engaged in the fish- 

 ery, but whether the reason given be correct or not, every three 

 or four years they are caught more abundantly than common, and in 

 unusual situations. They feed on living food generally, and are es- 

 pecially fond of Crustacea. 



Whistler, Three- bearded Rockling, Motella vulgaris. Common in 

 shallow water, in rocky gullies, living among the ledges of the 

 rocks near the ground. It is called whistler only in the west of 

 Cornwall. 



Brown Whistler, Five-bearded Rockling, M. quinquecerrata. 

 Occasionally found about low- water mark in Mount's Bay. 



Midgen, Mackerel Midge, M. glauca. This beautiful little fish is 

 very uncertain in its appearance ; for some seasons a few only can be 

 seen, and again in others they appear in countless multitudes. In 

 March and April they may be seen in the deep sea, in scattered 

 flocks, floating or swimming at the surface, and scattered through the 

 foam of the waves. Towards May and June they associate in larger 

 companies and approach the shores. Like the pilchard, it migrates 

 from deep water in large schulls, while during winter they live singly 

 in deep water. When they approach the shores the numbers seem 

 astonishingly large ; and if it should be boisterous weather, all the in- 

 lets of the coasts and all the pools seem filled with the dying and 



