HAKE. 
515 
over the entire upper surface of each of the frontal 
bones. At the middle of its length each of the frontal 
ridges is met by a similar ridge, running forward and 
inward from the upper surface of each of the squamosal 
bones; and thus a W-shaped figure of osseous ridges 
is formed, more or less distinct even externally on the 
forehead and occiput. In all the forms of this genus 
the lower jaw projects beyond the tip of the snout; 
the branchiostegal membranes are not coalescent, but 
partially cross each other at the point of their attach- 
ment to the isthmus; and the jaw-teeth as well as the 
teeth on the laterally extended head of the vomer are 
set in two rows, scattered and pointed like canine teeth 
but of uniform size in each row, larger and capable of 
being bent inwards in the inner row. The point of 
the chin is without any barbel. 
The variety of form within the genus is not great. 
The number of known species would be five, if two of 
them" were described with sufficient accuracy to have a 
claim to scientific recognition. The three species of 
which there is no doubt, belong to the north of the 
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 
The genus received its name of Merlus or Mer- 
lucius at the hands of the contemporary writers (1554), 
Belon 6 and Rondelet c , but was known even to the 
ancient Greeks, according to Aristotle and Athenasus, 
by the name of oroc. Linnasus, however, in the tenth 
edition of Systema Naturae, having given our Hake the 
name of Gad us merluccius, Rafinesque d raised this 
specific name to a generic rank. The original spelling 
was restored by Risso e , and has subsequently won 
'wider and wider recognition. It also enables us without 
complete tautology to retain the Linmean specific name for 
THE HAKE (sw. LYSING OR KUMMEL). 
MERLUC1US MERLUCCIUS. 
Plate XXV, fig. 1 . 
Body elongated and terete, the greatest depth being about 13 — 16 V 2 % : of the length, and the greatest thickness 
about 70 — 90 % of the former. Length of the head, about 28 — 24 x j 2 % of that of the body. Bend in the margin 
of the dorsal and anal fins only slightly marked, and their posterior lobes rounded. Length of the pectoral fins 
about 12 — 16' % of that of the body, and equal to or only slightly greater than the postorbital length of the head, 
which measures more than 12 % of the length of the body. Ventral fins as a rule in young specimens longer , in 
old slightly shorter than the pectoral fins. Number of rays in the first dorsal fin at most 11. Least breadth of 
the interorbital space more than 70 % of the length of the base of the first dorsal fin. 
R. hr. 7; D. 9 — 1 1)37 — 39^; A. 37—39*; P. 13 — 1 4 U 
V. 7; C. x + 18 — 20 + .v; Vert. 50 — 52. 
Syn. Gaclus dorso dipterygio, maxilla inferiore longiore, Art., Gen., 
p. 22; Syn., p. 36. Lysing, Strom, Sondm., Beskr., part. 
1, p. 295. 
Gadns Merluccius, Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, tom. I, p. 254; 
Fn. Suec., ed. 2, p. 113; ( Merlucius ), Mus. Ad. Frid ., 
tom. 2:di prodr., p. 60; Mull., ZooV. Ban. Prodr., p. 41; 
Retz., Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 321; Hollb., Gbgs Wett., Witt. 
Samh. N. Handl., V (1822), p. 38 cum fig.; Nilss., Prodr. 
Ichth. Scand., p. 44; Schagerstr., Physiogr. Sallsk. Tidskr., 
p. 302. 
Grand Merlus, Duham., Tr. Pecltes, part. II, sect. I, p. 141, 
tab. XXIV. 
Merluccius smiridus, Rafin., Caratt., p. 25; Jord., Gilb. (Mer- 
lucius), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 16, p. 809; Coll., N. 
Mag. Naturv. Christ., Bd. 29 (1884), p. 83; Lillj., Sv., 
Norg. Fn., Fish., vol. 2, p. 120; Hansen, Zool. Dan., 
Fiske, p. 76, tab. IX, fig. 9. 
Merlucius esculentus, Risso, Fur. Merid., tom. Ill, p. 220. 
Merluccius vulgaris, Flem., Brit. Aniin., p. 195; Sund., v. 
Wright, Skand. Fisk., ed. I, p. 145, tab. 33; Kr., Damn. 
Fiske , vol. 2, p. 140; Nilss., Skand. Fn., Fislc., p. 570; 
Thomps., Nat. Hist. Irel., vol. IV, p. 184; Gthr, Cat. Brit. 
Mus,, Fish., vol. IV, p. 344; Coll., Forh. Vid. Selsk. Christ. 
a Merlucius argentatus from Iceland and M. Gayi from Chili. 
6 La nature et diversite dcs poissons, p. 116. 
c De piscibus, lib. IX, p. 273. 
d Caratteri di alcuni nuovi Generi etc. (1810), p. 25. Rafinesque here mentions two species, Linnaeus’s Gadus merluccius and his own 
Merluccius smiridus, both from the Mediterranean and belonging to his genus Merluccius. In the same year, however, he included the Hake 
in Indice d' Lttiologia Sicilana, p. 12, under the name of Onus riali , a generic name which was unquestionably used here in its right place, 
and which we should have adopted, if Risso had not given it a different application which has gained fairly general recognition in recent times. 
e Europe Meridionale (1826), tom. Ill, p. 220. 
I In gravid females as much as 20 %. 
g 36 — 40, according to Moreau. 
* Sometimes 36, according to Moreau. 
i 19 
?? x ^ 1 11 11 
