254 
MALACOPTERYGII.— GADIDiE» 
ture than in other fishes. The deep orange colour 
of the flesh of the Salmon and Char depends on a 
peculiar oil diffused through the cellular sheaths 
of the fibres. The muscular fasciculi [bundles] 
of fishes are usually short and simple ; and very 
rarely converge to be inserted by tendinous chords. 
The proportion of myonine [or muscular tissue] 
is greater in fishes than in other Vertebrata ; 
the irritability of its fibres is considerable^ and is 
long retained. Fishermen take advantage of this 
property, and induce rigid muscular contraction, 
long after the usual signs of life have disappeared, 
by transverse cuts and immersion of the muscles 
in cold water : this operation, by which the firm- 
ness and specific gravity of the muscular tissue 
are increased, is called ^ crimping.’”^ 
The Cod is observed to thrive in the confinement 
of ponds, which are either naturally or artificially 
hollowed in some parts of our rocky shores, and 
into which the sea has access at high tide. Other 
marine fishes, such as Haddock and Whiting, dif- 
ferent sorts of Flat-fish and Skate, are also kept 
in these vivaria^ and found to do well. They are 
fed with Sprats, the young and unsaleable of other 
fishes, shelled mollusca, and any animal offal, all 
of which is greedily devoured. On the Hebrides, 
and the adjacent coast of Scotland, there are 
several marine stews. 
The following description of such a saltwater 
fish-pond, communicated to the New Sporting 
Magazine, will be read with interest, as every- 
thing that illustrates the habits and instincts of 
marine fishes is valuable. The pond is situated 
near the Mull of Galloway, on the west coast of 
* Lect. on Comp, Anat. ii. 169. 
