PLATE XXXVL 
To the history of the common Whiting wc can add nothing tha^ 
is not already known. The Whiting is a fish sufiSciently abundant 
in all the temperate parts of Europe. We are told it is found in tb® 
Baltic, Mediterranean, and Northern Seas ; although less frequent 
those, than in the seas which wash the shores of Holland, Francc» 
and England, where at most seasohs of the year it is found in tb® 
greatest plenty; One circumstance should be observed, the princip®^ 
fisheries for the Whiting commence upon the French coafts as early 
as January or February ; but on the coasts of Holland and those of 
our own country the Whiting fisheries do not take place much befor® 
April or May. 
Ouring the summer months the Whiting haunts our coasts in 
shoals, hovering at the distance of one, two, or three miles froU* 
the land. As they feed on the young of other fishes, especially 
Sprats and Herrings, the hooks with w'hich they are taken are coi*' 
monly baited by the fishermen with pieces of these fishes : they at® 
also very fond of crabs and marine worrns. 
The Whiting spawns In the beginning of the winter ; the youO? 
fry make their appearance shortly after : these increase rapidly in si2®' 
till they become ten or twelve inches in length, after which th®'^ 
growth is observed to be much slower. Pennant^ and after hi*’^* 
Bloch and other writers, speak of Whiting weighing from four ^ 
eight pounds each, that have been taken in the deep water at the edg* 
of the Doggerbank. This is not very improbable, although we 
naturallyconclude,theyarenotcommonly taken there of that enonnf*^* 
magnitude j it is well known that the largest Whitings brought t® 
our markets, are caught in that part of the Dutch sea, in which t'’® 
Doggerbank lies. There are likewise considerable fisheries upon 
