COD, POLLOCK . HADDOCK AND HAKE. 
339 
from them they have absorbed the red coloring matter into their tissues. 
“ Rockling ” are probably young Rock Cod. In the vicinity of Scituate, 
Mass., Rock Cod are also called “ Native Cod.” 
Another class of names appears to apply to those fish which live near 
the shores, but which are less closely limited to the reefs. These are 
•called “Shoal-water Cod,” Shore Cod,” “Inshore Cod,” “Worm-cod,” 
“Clam-Cod,” “Black Snappers,” “Black Biters,” “Brown Cod,” 
“ Ground Keepers,” and “ Ground Tenders ” or “ Groupers.” 
Still another class of fish is known by such names as “ Deep-water 
Cod,” “Bank Cod,” and “School Cod. 
There are also certain local schools of fish which have names of their 
own; for instance, the “Herring Fish” or “Herring Cod” of South¬ 
eastern Maine, and the “Squid School ” of Nantucket and other parts of 
the coast, the “Pasture School” of Cape Ann, and the so-called “Shad 
School ” which frequented Massachusetts Bay between 1815 and 1830. 
In Southeastern Maine the name “ Pine-tree Cod ” is also in use. It is 
difficult at present to determine exactly to what extent these names are 
used and what their precise meaning may be, but it is almost certain that 
each community of fishermen has its own peculiar names by which to 
designate local peculiarities of habit and movement. 
In the markets, the Cod from George’s Bank are usually classed as 
“ George’s Fish,” and are considered to be of superior value. George’s 
fish are very fat fish with white “ napes.” This name is becoming a com¬ 
mercial term to describe Codfish of the finest quality. No one of these 
names, excepting Rock Cod, or Red Cod, appears to be in use in Great 
Britain, although there, as here, there are various names of local signifi¬ 
cance, which are of little interest, however, to Americans. 
“Bank Cod” and “Shore Cod” are commercial names, used in the 
same manner as the name “ George’s Cod.” 
As early as 1415 A. D., English vessels frequented the fishing grounds 
near Iceland, and it is claimed by some authorities that the Banks of 
Newfoundland w r ere known to the Basques centuries before the discovery of 
the American continent. The Banks of Newfoundland were among the 
principal inducements which led the English to establish colonies in this 
country, and in the records of early voyages are many allusions to the 
.abundance of Cod along our shores. 
A Nova Scotia coin or bank-token has upon it the figure of a Codfish. 
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