250 
MALACOPTERYGII. — GADID^. 
and of good flavour, easily separated into flakes, 
wholesome, and easy of digestion. They inhabit 
for the most part the cold and temperate seas, 
a very few only being found in fresh waters. 
The northern Atlantic is the great home of the 
Family, few reaching to the tropical regions, and 
scarcely any wandering into the Pacific or Indian 
Oceans. 
Genus Gadus, (Linn.) 
The Cods proper, (including the Haddock, but 
not the Whiting,) are distinguished by the follow- 
ing marks. The long dorsal is divided into three 
distinct portions, of which the first is triangular ; 
the anal is divided into two ; the ventrals are 
small, slender and pointed, placed beneath the 
pectorals; the caudal is straight-edged, or slightly 
hollowed. The chin is furnished with a small 
beard {cirrus) at the point. Five species of the 
genus as thus restricted are taken on our own 
shores, and none in greater plenty than the most 
valuable of them all, (perhaps of all fishes,) the 
Common Cod, {Gadus morrhua^ Linn.) It attains 
three or four feet in length, and a depth of eight 
or nine inches ; Mr. Yarrell mentions one which 
weighed GOlbs. ; and Pennant speaks of another, 
caught at Scarborough, of 781bs. The colour of 
the upper parts is a dull olive-brown, obscurely 
marked with yellow, fading to pure white beneath ; 
the lateral line is white. There are two very dis- 
tinct varieties, one of which has a sharp taper 
muzzle, the other a thick, rounded one ; the 
former is darker in hue, and affects the southern 
coast. 
