PLAICE. 



183 



find out how sucTi an absurd opinion could have liad an 

 origin. He applied himself to the inquiry for several years, 

 and, by way of experiment, he placed some of these little 

 shrimps in a vessel of sea water of sufficient size; and in 

 about twelve or thirteen days he found in the vessel eight 

 or nine little Plaice, which gradually increased in size; and 

 this circumstance confirmed him in the opinion, of the truth 

 of which he had been already persuaded. In the following 

 spring he pursued the inquiry by placing some Plaice in one 

 vessel, and in another vessel some Plaice together with some 

 of these small shrimps. It appeared that among the Plaice 

 contained in these two vessels there were some females which 

 shed their spawn; but, notwithstanding this, the only vessel 

 which shewed the presence of young Plaice was that in 

 which were the shrimps. Deslandes proceeded to examine the 

 crustaceans, and then it was that he discovered the grains of 

 the roe of the Plaice attached to the under part of these 

 crabs. He opened these grains, and thus was able to ascertain 

 that not only were they in a fertile condition, but that each 

 one of them held an embryo which was somewhat advanced in 

 development; from which circumstance he was led to form 

 the conclusion that the grains of the roe of the Plaice can 

 only come to life when hatched on the under surface of these 

 small shrimps. But on the other hand, Lacepecle was firmly 

 persuaded that this opinion of Dr. Deslandes is founded on 

 error, and that those grains of ova had been first shed in a 

 place frequented by these shrimps, which are known to be 

 disposed to feed on the ova of fishes, and especially on those 

 of flatfishes. He further remarks that the ova of all kinds of 

 fishes are enclosed in a tenacious kind of covering, and thus, 

 as in this instance, they may become glued to the under 

 portion of these shrimps at a time when the latter were 

 seeking to devour them. Of course they would carry them 

 thus attached wherever they themselves went. 



I possess the record of a Plaice which measured nineteen 

 inches in length, and ten inches in breadth; but these dimensions 

 probably included the width of the fins. Mr. Thompson 

 mentions an Irish specimen that weighed twelve pounds; and 

 Ekstrom says he has seen it two feet long; but usually they 

 are much less, the breadth of the body being about one half 



