274 
NATURAL HISTORY 
These fish are found only in the seas of the northern 
parts of the world; and the great rendezvous for them, 
are the sand-banks of Newfoundland, Novia Scotia, and 
New Fngland. These shallows are their favourite situ- 
ations, as they abound with worms, a food that is pecu- 
liarly grateful to them. Another cause of their attach- 
ment to these places is their vicinity to the polar seas, 
where they return to spawn. There they deposit their 
roes in full security, and atterwards repair, as soon as 
the more southern seas are open, to the banks for sub- 
sistence; consequently the cod may justly be placed at 
the head of the migrating, or wandering tribes of fish. 
Few are taken north of Iceland, and the shoals never 
reach so far south as the straights of Gibralter. 
Previous to the discovery of Newfoundland, the prin- 
cipal fisheries for cod were in the seas off Iceland, and 
off the western islands of Scotland. To the former of 
these the English resorted near four centuries, and had 
no fewer than one hundred and fifty vessels employed in 
the Iceland fishery in the reign of James I. 
Whiting. ( Gadus . PL 48.) The name of this fish 
arises from the silvery hue which pervades the whole 
body, which is long, covered with small, round, thin, sil- 
very scales. The head ends in a point; the eyes, near 
which are the nostrils, are round, with a large black pu- 
pil, and silvery iris. The upper jaw is armed with se- 
veral rows of teeth, of which those in front are the 
longest; the lower jaw has but one row. The back is 
olive colour, and arched, as is the belly. The sides are 
somewhat compressed, and the anus is nearer the head 
than the tail. The lateral line has a straight direction. 
The fins are white, except the pectoral and tail, which 
are blackish. 
This fish is found in the Baltic and North Seas, though 
not numerous in the former; but they are plentiful on 
the coasts of Holland, France, and England, where they 
are reckoned the most delicate and wholesome species 
of the genus. They attain the length of a foot, some- 
times one and a half, rarely two; but on the Dogger- 
bank they are caught of the weight of from four to eight 
