THE FLAT-FISH. 393 



important of all, tlie Common Sole. The mouth of the 

 sole is more distorted than that of any of the foregoing ; 

 the eyes, on the right side, are minute; the 

 lower side of the head is without scales, and 

 there are filaments at the edge of the snout. All the 

 teeth are on the left side of the small twisted mouth. 

 In colour the fish is very deep brown, white on the left 

 side. The maximum weight of this fish may be placed 

 approximately at 9 lbs. ; Cunningham, whose monograph 

 on tliis fish is one of our most important works on 

 ichthyology, gives the average length as between 12 and 

 18 inches. There would appear to be a falling off of 

 late years in the supply of soles from British seas, the 

 fishermen being compelled to reap the harvest, which 

 soon spoils, farther and farther from home. This fish 

 prefers a muddy bottom, and seeks its soft food chiefly 

 at night. According to Seeley,^ it is capable of develop- 

 ing marked characters in some rivers. 



The greatest length to which the Sand Sole, also known 

 from its colour as the " Lemon-sole " (a title to which it 

 S nd r ^^^ certainly a better right than the " Mary 

 French. Sole" aforementioned), is known to attain is 

 Sole. j^Q^ above 14 inches, its colour being lemon- 



yellow, with or without dark blotches, and usually a black 

 spot on the pectoral fin. There are filaments on the snout 

 and round the dilated eds-e of the nostril on the blind side. 



"■o" 



The "Bastard Sole," as the Thickback is sometimes 



called, is taken in deep water, where it grows to a length 



of 8^ inches. The colour is reddish brown, 



with vertical dark bands. The pectoral fins 



are very small. 



The smallest member of the family, the Solenette, that 

 never exceeds a length of 5 inches, has so often been 



1 Fresli-water Fishes of Europe, p. 88. 



