PLAICK. 213 



drop])ing down upon tlioni, from a boat, a doubly-barbed sliort 

 spear, heavily leaded to carry it with velocity to the bottom, 

 with a line attached to it, by which the fish when transfixed 

 i^ hauled up. 



Tn East Friesland the Plaice has been transferred to fresh- 

 water ponds, where it is established and thrives well. 



Like other ground-fish, all the Phuroncctidt£ arc very 

 tenacious of life. 



The length of the head compared to the whole length of 

 the head, body, and tail, is as two to nine ; the depth of 

 the solid part of the body, without including the dorsal or 

 anal fins, rather more than one-third of the whole length ; 

 the form subrhombuidal ; the mouth and teeth rather small ; 

 the upper eye the largest, and placed rather more backward 

 than the lower eye, with a strong and prominent bony ridge 

 between the orbits, and several tubercles forming a curved 

 line from the posterior part of the ridge to the commence- 

 ment of the lateral line : the preoperculum is in a vertical 

 line over the origin of the ventral fin ; the operculum ter- 

 minates in an angle upon the base of the pectoral fin ; the 

 lateral line prominent, commencing at the upper margin of 

 the operculum, arched over the pectoral fin, then straight 

 along the middle of the fleshy portion of the tail, and ex- 

 tending over the membrane connecting the central caudal 

 rays. The dorsal fin commences over the upper eye ; the 

 longest ravs rather behind the middle of its whole length : 

 the anal fin, preceded by a spine, begins in a line under the 

 origin of the pectoral fin ; the longest rays rather before the 

 middle : both dorsal and anal fins end on the same plane, 

 and short of the end of the fleshy portion of the tail, which, 

 as well as the caudal rays, is narrow and elongated ; the 

 tail roiuided. 



