HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 397 
the head; back of this eye was a deep notch, upon the upper edge of which, at its 
anterior angle, commenced the dorsal fin, as shown in the figure. (Fig. 2. b.) 
This species is quite common during the summer and early part of autumn at 
Provincetown, and as far up the Cape as Wellfleet. It is taken along shore in very 
shallow water, and frequently weighs from fifteen to twenty pounds. At Province- 
town it is known as the Plaice, in Boston market it is called the Turbot. It is 
an excellent fish, and is considered by judges to be fully equal to the Rhombus 
maximus, English turbot. For quite a number of years a few specimens had occa- 
sionally been yearly brought to our market, when Captain Atwood, about the year 
1841, conceived the project of bringing them alive, by the cargo, in the well of his 
smack. For three years he succeeded quite well in disposing of several loads in 
this manner, — some being bought, by those who knew their value, as turbot, 
and others as young halibut. When, however, in the year 1844, the fishermen 
commenced packing in ice halibut taken upon George's Banks, and were thus 
enabled to keep the market supplied with that species in a state of perfect preser- 
 vation, the species we are considering could not be sold. In the latter part of 
1847, Captain Atwood brought to Boston a.smack load of most excellent turbot, 
alive, and sold but two hundred-weight, — the remainder died upon his hands, — 
while species of infinitely inferior quality met with a ready sale in the market. 
Massachusetts, Storer. New York, MircmiLL, Dekay. 
PLATESSA QUADROCELLATA, Storer. 
The Four-spotted Flounder. 
(Pirate XXXI. Fio. 3.) 
Platessa quadrocellata, STORER, Proceed. of Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 11. p. 242, 1847. 
Color. When just taken, the left side of this species is of a gray color, thickly 
spotted with brown, so as to appear almost confluent, including all of the fins. 
Upon the posterior half of the body, just beneath the dorsal fin, and directly oppo- 
site this, above the anal fin, are situated two large, nearly black ocelli, surrounded 
by a pinkish halo; at the base of the caudal fin are two similar, smaller ocelli. 
Description. Body elongated. The greatest depth of the body, exclusive of the 
dorsal and anal fins, is just back of the posterior extremities of the pectorals. The 
length of the head is not quite equal to one fourth the length of the entire fish. 
The eyes are prominent, oblong, situated over each other, separated by a promi- 
! nent, smooth, bony ridge; their longest diameter is about equal to one sixth the 
' VOL. VIII. 52 
