89 



half the length, and two-thirds of the length behind the head. 

 The seventh area was above the pectoral fin, and in the same 

 position as the piece of skin left after the fish had been filleted. 

 All the scales, except those on which the concentric ridges were 

 absent about the focus of the scale, gave the same reading for age. 

 The fish were 35-8 and 36-5 cms. long, and had on the scales six 

 and seven summer areas respectively. 



The Laboratory attendant obtained for me on 4th April the 

 remains after filleting of fifty-six lemon dabs which were caught 

 130 miles N.E. of the Tjme, and on 10th April measurements 

 and scale samples were taken at North Shields fish quay from 

 thirty-six fish caught 170 miles N.E. of the T\aie. 



The length of the fish was measured to the nearest half centi- 

 metre, and the average size and range in size of the fish examined 

 were as follows : — 



Age. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 



Average size 26-9 31-6 33-7 34-9 36-7 39-2 38-9 41-0 39-8 41-7 40-9 42-0 cm. 



Age. 4 5 6 7 8 



Range ... 25-0— 31-0 25-0— 39-0 27-5— 39-5 30-0— 38-5 34-0— 40-5 cm. 



Further particulars will be found in Table I. 



It will be seen that no fish j^ounger than four yesus was 

 examined, and in order to obtain some idea of the growth in earher 

 years a linear representation of the scale was made, and the size 

 and growth of the scale was expressed in terms of the length of 

 the fish in the same manner as has been done in herrmg investi- 

 gations. The limits of each year's growth of the scale are easily 

 determined, and as the results obtained, for fish having completed 

 from four to seven years' growth, agree very closely with the 

 figures given above, it will probably be found, from an investiga- 

 tion of younger fish, when these can be obtained, that a fair repre- 

 sentation of the growth of the lemon dab is here given. 



Particulars as to the calculations made will be found in Table 

 II., and the average size and range in size at the end of each year's 



