DISOUSSION OF SPECIKS AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 457 



SOLEA VULGARIS, Quensel. 



rieuronectes solen, Linn.eus, Systcma Natune, ed. x, 1758, i, 270; ed. xii, 1766, 157. 



Solea vulgaris, QUBNSEL, Vet. AUad. Haudl., 1800, 230.— Risso, Hist. Nat. Eur. M.-rid., rir, 247.— Boxaparte, 



Fauna Italica, Pesci, fasc. v. — Gunther, Cat. FisU. Brit. Mus., iv, 4G3. — Vaill.\nt, Exp. Sci. Travailleur 



et Talisman, Poisson.s, 180. 



Body eloagate-ovate, its height little more thiiu one-third of its length. Well-de- 

 veloped pectorals on both sides. Interorbital space two-thirds of length of snout. Lateral 

 line straight, containing about IGO scales. 



Ra<lial formula: D. 73-84; A. Ul-73. 



Color greenish or brownish-gray, spotted with brown; pi-ctnral of right side with a 

 black or blackish blotch; left side white. 



This species, the common sole, is found from Trondhjems Fjord, 05 N. lat., to Gibraltar, 

 and through the Mediterranean, at least to the head of the Adriatic. Like many shoal 

 water forms of the north, it occurs in the cooler depths near its so)ithern limit, and the 

 French Expedition found it on the Banc d'Arguin in 235 meters (station xci). 



MICROCHIRUS, Bonaparte. 



Microchirus, Bonaparte, Cat. Med. Pesei d'Euroiie, No. 429. 

 Bugloasm, (subgenus), Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iv, 462. 



A genus closely related to Solea, but perhaps separated by its very minute pectorals. 

 MICROCHIRUS VARIEGATUS, (Donovan), Moreau. 



Pleuronecten variegalim, Donovan, Nat. Hi.st. I5rit. Fisli., 1808, pi. cxvii. 



fSolea (liiuilomus) variefiatiix, Giinther, Cat. Fisli. Brit. Mus., IV, 1862, 469. — Day, Fishes of (Jreat Britain 



and Ireland, II. 43, pi. cvni, (ig. 1. — Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, 1888, 190. 

 ilicrochinit rariegalii'i, MoitEALi, Hist. Nat. Poiss. France, 181, m, 317. 

 Plciironectcs microchinm, De La Roche, Ann. Mus.. xm, 356, lii;. 2. 

 Pteurmtectes Man'jili, Ri.sso, Iclith. Nice, 1810, 310. 

 Solea STanijilU, Bonapakte, Fauna Italica, Pesci, Fasc. v. — Canestrini, Arch. Zool., i, 29, \>\. iii, tig. 3; 



Pesci d'It.alia, 166. 

 Pleiiroiiecli'S liiigula, Pennant, British Zoology, 1812, ni, 313, pi. xi.viii. 

 MonorhiriiK lingitla, CosTA, Fauna Nap(ditana, ii, 50. 

 Microchirus liiu/ula, Bonaparte, loc. cit. 



Sole-like fishes, having body somewhat elongate, its height 2J to 2| in total length; 

 the length of head 5.J. Width of interorbital space equal to length of snout and 

 diameter of orbit, and 4-4i times in length of head. Pectoral of lilind side minute, the 

 other very small, its length 4.J in that of head. Scales in lateral line 85. 



Radial formula: D. 63-73; A. 53-57. 



Color, brownish-gray, with brown transverse bands; much darker on the vertical fins. 



This form occurs as far north as Scotland and England, where it is caught in trawl nets, 

 and has been taken south of Ireland in 150 fathoms; it also occurs along the west coast of 

 France, and in the ^Icditerranean, as far as to the Gulf of Genoa, and the head of the 

 Adriatic. The French vessels found it oft' Spain in (!0 to 120 meters; oft" Scmdan, in 130 

 meters; and at 300 meters in the Gulf of Gascouy (Travailleur, 1880, .station XVII). 



MICROCHIRUS PROFUNDICOLUS, (Vaill^vnt), Gooue and Bean. 



Solea profumlicola, Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, 1888, 190. 



.V MicrocliiruH, having the height of the body one-third of its length; the head one- 

 fiftli. Snout round, iiu'onspicncms. Mouth small, extending scarcely to the vertical from 

 the middle of the lower eye, with teeth only on the blind .side. Upper eye in advance of 

 the lower one and well opened, while the latter is curtained by an eye lid whi<-h hides it 

 to a large extent. Tiie <liameter of the orbits is about two-fifths the length of tin; hea<l; 

 width of the interorbital space about one-third less. Lateral lines extending without per- 

 ceptible curvature from the upper eye to the middle of the caudal. Scales small, ctenoid 



