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LARGE ROCK IN STOMACH OF HALIBUT VICTORIA," B. C., December 24. The gray cods are- famous all the world over for taking into their stomachs what the fishermen term "ballast in the shape of stones of various sizes. These are considered necessary to enable the cod to maintain an oven keel during the storms which rage on the surface of the sea above them. But it is not as generally known .that the halibut does the same tiling. . Walter White, master of the steamship Kiugs-wav. belonging to the Provincial Museum, brought to the director. Dr. F. Kermode, recently a rock weighing about two and a half pounds, which he took from the stomach of a halibut weighing about sixtv pounds. The Kingsway was fishing in about thirtv-five fathoms of water off Bonilla Island. A scientist makes the explanation that the halibut are famous eaters of small things as well as large things, and they pick from the ground and from the rocks, and kelp all sorts of animals, including sea anemones, clam siphons, worms, etc"., and in the process of doing so they frequently take in things which were not intended to find a lodging in the stomach of a fish. It is due to reckless eating, not to foresight iu taking in "ballast."
