162 BHILL. 



form is more oval, and consequently is somewhat longer in 

 proportion to its breadth; the dimensions being that the breadth 

 of the body is contained one and two thirds in the length, 

 excluding the caudal fin, and the length of the head three 

 times and a third. It may be also distinguished from this only 

 other British species, with which it might be confounded by 

 having a slight covering of scales on the coloured surface; but 

 especially by not having bony tubercles, such as are scattered 

 over the skin of the Turbot. The gape is large, the angle of 

 the mouth depressed, mystache rather wide, reaching fully back 

 to the lowermost eye: under jaw protruded, with a chin; teeth 

 in the jaws and palate. The lowermost eye in advance of the 

 upper; hindmost gill-cover passing a little over the root of the 

 pectoral fin. Body and cheeks covered with scales; lateral line 

 arched over the pectoral. The dorsal fin begins in front of 

 the eyes, and but little above the snout, the rays stout, fleshy, 

 and at first passing beyond the membrane, with from seventy 

 to eighty rays; pectoral nearly round; ventral near the throat, 

 with five rays, but this fin on the lower side passes behind 

 the upper, so as to appear joined to the anal; the latter ends 

 opposite the dorsal, near the tail; this last-named fin round. 



The general colour of this fish is deep brown, mottled with 

 deeper brown, and irregularly dotted over with white specks; 

 and I have seen an example intensely black, with a few white 

 specks on the anal fin. Like others of this family, the lower 

 side is sometimes coloured like the upper, and in some instances 

 only a portion is so coloured. 



