186 TORBAY SOLES FOOD OF SOLES. 



" Soles are also caught in considerable quantities on 

 tlie south-east of the Brown Bank. 



" The supply of soles is very fluctuating. One reason 

 of this may be their migratory habits. Hence the 

 great importance of keeping regular registers of tempe- 

 ratures both of air and water at times both of success 

 and of failure. As an instance of the fluctuations of 

 the catch of soles, P. Harman, a fisherman of Brighton, 

 informed us that forty years ago he caught a quarter of 

 a ton of soles in a night. A great body of soles came 

 along off the coast which lasted for two months. There 

 were never so many known before. 



"A considerable sole fishery is also carried on from 

 Brixham, in Devonshire, where there are now about 

 120 trawlers, fi-om thirty to sixty tons each. The Brix- 

 ham soles are know by the name of ' Torbay soles,' 

 and are considered good. Sometimes large specimens 

 are taken. I have a cast of a pair of soles from Torbay 

 22in. by ll|in. and 21^in. by 8^in. respectively. The 

 largest soles I have in my museum as casts are a i)air 

 from Ireland, weighing altogether 121bs. 



" Dover soles are also in great repute in some of the 

 Midland markets. 



" The sole has very fine and very pointed teeth on the 

 lower jaw, and a number of very short and delicate bar- 

 bules on the white side of the body around the mouth. 



'' On account of the difiiculty I have had in obtaining 

 the viscera I have not been enabled to obtain many 

 specimens of the food of the sole. I have, however, 

 received good evidence that it feeds on the worm which 

 forms the sandv material called ross. This ross is 

 secreted by a worm called Terehella. It also decidedly 

 preys upon rag worms, lug worms, the animals of 

 serpulcB, and any minute shells it can pick up." 



