234 MALACOP. SUB BRACH. FLAT FISH. 



quented both by English and French Turbot fishers t 

 and the coast of Devonshire often supplies large 

 quantities, many of which find their Avay to London 

 by land carriage. We are unacquainted with the 

 distribution of the Turbot on the western side of 

 Britain ; but it occurs on many of the Irish coasts. 

 The coasts of Holland produce Turbot in immense 

 quantities, and the fishery is carried on by theDutch 

 with great skill and success. Most authors mention 

 the occurrence of the Turbot in the Mediterranean 

 as a fact too well known to require any authentica- 

 tion : Mr. Swainson, on the contrary, says, that he 

 cannot coincide in the belief that this delicious fish 

 was known to the Athenians; for although the 

 Pleuronectidas, as a whole, are common to the Gre- 

 cian and Sicilian seas, he never saw Turbot there, 

 nor ever heard of its being captured. By this, we 

 presume, he means to deny the Turbot a place at all 

 among the Mediterranean fishes ; but a conviction of 

 the contrary so general and settled, is not to be thus 

 lightly set aside. We find it included in the lists 

 of North American fishes, but not without a mark 

 of doubt. 



The Turbot spawns in autumn, and is in best con- 

 dition for the table during summer. Although very 

 voracious, it is rather choice in its food, which con- 

 sists of small fishes* Crustacea, and mollusca, greatly 

 preferring them alive, and never touching any thing 

 in the least tainted. This occasions a good deal of 

 trouble to the fishermen, w^ho are thus obliged to 

 keep their bait always in a fresh state ; after being 



