PISCES. 
55 
Excessive waste which goes on in this department. We depend 
for our main supply on four families^’ — the mackarel tribe, the 
herring tribe, the flat fish, and the cods ; but it is only the well 
tuown members of these families that are eaten. If a rare 
Specimen occurs, it is thrown away, but yet it is certain'!" that 
©Very member of each of these families is not only edible, 
f>Ut good eating. Indeed, -with the exception of the larger 
®fiarks, the sunfishes, and the globe-fish, there is not, in my 
opinion, based on an extensive experience, a single British fish 
'Which is unfit for food under some form of cookery or other. 
^Vhilst of the sharks and rays I can say that their cartilaginous 
f’oneg under the process of stewing, dissolve into a strong jelly, 
f suppose this may be so of the globe-fish and sun-fishes, but I 
"fo hot know it. But it is not only in the fish which we throw 
away that we make our waste, but in the method of dressing the 
fish which we cook. We boil turbot and sole, and the water in 
yhioh they are boiled is (and correctly) thrown away; but if 
^stoad of boiling them we dressed them by the process of steam- 
we should save from them a quantity of very rich joUy, 
:j^ud then again, how very rarely do we make any use of fish 
fwer ! the good housewife who will boil down the bones and 
®®rap8 of any meat to make stock for soup, will throw away fish 
^°ues and scraps with- complacency, never recollecting for a 
®^ouient that fish soups are as good as any other soups, and not 
®'Ware perhaps that the stock of most of the queen of soups — 
^•irtle soup — (a soup by the way whoUy of marine origin) when 
for public dinners or in large hotels is made from conger, 
subject is worthy of consideration. We throw away a third 
of our fish, and waste a third part of those which wo 
®°usume. 
TnO. COENISH. 
Penzance. 
* It -vpill be olbberTed that I confine myself to the supply of salt-tvater fish, I 
nothing of Salmon and other fresh -water fish ; hut I apprehend that they are 
y ho means so important a branch of fish supply as the smallest of the families 
I have Tinmeil The “ (riirnards ” or the “Conger” are, perhans. cruite 
have named. The “Gurnards” or the “Conger’ 
to the salmons as a source of general fish supply. 
tl 
®tandj 
except Tadpole Tish. I have never tried it, but, its strong smell notwith- 
‘^hg, I sec no reason against its being "wholesome food. 
