314 CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



ground and the presence of particles of diflPerent tints 

 that may be upon it. Thus, whether we contemplate the 

 God of Nature in his most sublime productions, or in 

 those provisions which He makes for the well-being of 

 his most irrational creatures,, the same principle of de- 

 sign — the same absolute perfection in execution -^ is 

 equally conspicuous. This exquisite finish is bestowed 

 upon millions of creatures which the eye of man '■' hath 

 not seen ; " '' nor hath it entered into his heart to con- 

 ceive " the faculties and the instincts they possess, still 

 less to form ideas on all the reasons of their creation. 

 Such knowledge, indeed, we cannot attain to in this 

 stage of our existence ; but the good shall most assuredly 

 enjoy it in their next. 



(263.) The Gadid^^ or cod-fish, form our third 

 division of the malacopterygious or soft-rayed order of 

 fishes. The general construction of these has already 

 been intimated (p. 2 SO.). They form the first of the aber- 

 rant division of the order, and are placed by Cuvier next 

 to the PleuronectidcE : that eminent anatomist, indeed, 

 has included them both in one order, distinct from the 

 Salmonidcp, because the ventral fins in both are placed 

 under the pectorals ; nevertheless, as we find that by this 

 character the lump-fish, suckers, &c., forming the Cy- 

 dopteridce, are made to follow the cod-fish, it becomes 

 plain that such a principle of arrangement unites dis- 

 cordant groups, and cannot be followed in a natural 

 system. "We shall first make a few observations on the 

 general peculiarities of this family, and then explain its 

 component parts. 



(264'.) The cod-fish are chiefly found in the cold 

 and temperate seas of the northern hemisphere, for 

 none have as yet been described as inhabiting India or 

 the great Pacific Ocean. The common cod, whiting, 

 haddock, hake, and several other well-known species, 

 although of a small size, belong to this family, and are 

 well known for the abundant supply their prohfic num- 

 bers furnish to man. The fishery for cod on the banks 

 of Newfoundland is much more important than that of 



