THE GADINiE, OR TYPICAL CODS. 317 



rows of pointed^ irregular, rasp-like teeth of different 

 sizes, but none of them very long : the aperture of the 

 gills is always large. It is in this group only, of aU 

 the soft-rayed, families, that we find three dorsals; but 

 their ventrals are almost always imperfect, — that is to 

 say, three or four of the rays are either excessively 

 small or totally wanting. This circumstance, with 

 their fleshy fins, their depressed head, and. their length 

 of tail, are all so many proofs of their analogy to the 

 apodal or anguilliform order. 



(266.) The whole of the genera defined by modern 

 ichthyologists, together with two others now intimated 

 for the first time, we shall arrange under the five fol- 

 lowing divisions, which may be considered as sub-fami- 

 lies: — 1. The Gadince, or typical cods, having always 

 two anal fins, and generally three dorsal ones. — 2. The 

 Merlucin<js, or the hakes and rocklings, where the dor- 

 sal fins are only two: these, being the two typical forms, 

 possess the additional character of having five distinct 

 rays to their ventral fins, although the posterior ones are 

 usually very small, while the first or second is much 

 lengthened and pointed. — 3. The Phycinw, or forked 

 hakes, so called from the ventral fins being each com- 

 posed, apparently, of a single ray forked towards its 

 middle. — 4i. The Brosminee, where there is only one 

 dorsal ; but the ventral is with five rays. — And, lastly, 

 the BrotulirifB, or eel- shaped cods, having the dorsal, 

 anal, and caudal fins united. 



(267.) The genus Gadus of Linnaeus, as represented 

 by the common cod (G. moi'rhud), stands at the head of 

 the entire family, as well as being the type of the Gadin<B: 

 with this well-known fish we associate the dorse, haddock, 

 pout, poor, and speckled cod of Britain, together with 

 certain other species found in the Mediterranean, two 

 of which do not appear to be described. AU these have 

 six rays to their ventral fins ; but the two first are only 

 well developed ; and these being lengthened by a fleshy 

 filament, give the fin a very pointed shape : the caudal 

 fin is always more or less lunated ; but in one species 



