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Variations and Relationship of the Flounder and 



the Plaice.* 



By 

 F. B. Stead, B.A. 



There can be no question of the importance of the subjects treated 

 of in this paper ; and the results are certainly such as to attract 

 attention. This fact makes it all the more disappointing that the 

 author's method is not calculated to inspire confidence in the accuracy 

 of his conclusions. Before attempting to j ustify this statement, we may 

 give a brief account of the paper as it stands. 



After giving an extensive bibliography, the author passes on in his 

 second chapter to a statement of the method of the investigation, and 

 of the notation by which he finds it necessary to state his results. In 

 tlie next chapter a table is given showing the extent of variation of 

 particular characters in the species considered, and the degree in which 

 the variations of these same characters in both forms may coincide. 

 The influence of sex and age, and the character and development of the 

 scales, is next treated of, and the following chapter is devoted to a 

 statement of the differences which obtain between the different " local 

 forms" in the North Sea and the Baltic. The rest of the paper is 

 taken up with a consideration of the relations between the local forms 

 and the species, an account of Pleuronedes psevdojlesus, certain morpho- 

 logical and biological observations, and a summary of results. We 

 may now consider the more important parts of this paper in detail, 



The method of investigation consisted in examining "a large number" 

 of specimens of each species in respect of no less than thirty-six 

 characters. Of these eleven were finally selected as sufficing to dis- 

 tinguish the species one from another, as well as the individual forms 

 of each species from different localities. 



* "Variation uud Verwandschart von. I'l. Ilesus L. und PI. platessa L., iinlcrsuclit 

 mittelst dcr Heiiicke'schen Methode," von Georg Duncker. IVis-i. Mccrcsuntersuch 

 hrrnusgegcbcn von d. Komm. znr Wiss. Untersuch d. dentschen Mcore in Kid. Hcfl. 2, 

 1896. 



