46 A CORNISH FAUNA. 



for the table all the year round. It is despised on account 

 of its boniness. 



Power Cod (Morrhua minuta.) A miserable little fish, very much 



like the blind, but longer in proportion to its depth. It is 



common everywhere. 

 "Whiting (Jlerlangus vulgaris.) This well-known delicacy is 



abundant off our coasts from September to March. The 



largest and best are taken off Polperro. 

 Poutassou (Couch's Whiting.) This Mediterranean member of 



the cod family has occurred twice off Polperro, but has not 



that I am aware of been recognised elsewhere in the 



County. 



Pollack (llerlangus pollachius.) The whiting pollack. Peculiarly 

 a Cornish fish. It is said to be almost unknown East of the 

 Start. An excellent table fish all the year round, but best 

 in winter. A fry of little pollack, about six inches long, 

 will beat a similar dish of Cornish trout at any time. 



Coalfish (Merlangus carbonaruis.) Pauning (qu. Eavening or 

 ravenous) pollack. This fish is common off all our coasts, 

 and attains a very large size, (up to half a hundred weight) 

 off the Land's End. Its flesh is coarser than that of the 

 whiting pollack, but in small specimens it is quite as 

 palatable. The straight white lateral line of this fish dis- 

 tinguishes it at once from the whiting pollack. Couch 

 himself (British Pishes) identifies his " green pollack " with 

 this fish. 



Ling (Lota molva.) "Very common and deserving of much more 

 gastronomic attention than it gets. Good fresh ling is an 

 excellent fish in winter, and Scilly salt ling is a delicacy all 

 the year round. It has been recently suggested that therb 

 are two permanent varieties of ling, but this second variety 

 may turn out to be the " torsk." 



Hake (Merlucius vulgaris.) Sold in London as " Cornish salmon." 

 Very common. Twenty years ago 3s 6d a " burn " (i.e. 21 

 fish or a " burthen " for one person) was a very high whole- 

 sale price for hake in West Cornwall, and 6d a fish was a 

 fair retail price. Now hake commands in West Cornwall a 

 wholesale price of from 15s to 20s a burn, and a retail price 

 from Is. to Is. 6d. each. 



