40 



growth, as obtained by expressing the scales in terms of the length 

 of the fish, were as follows : — 



Average Size at end of Year's Growth. 



Age. 

 Range 



1 



4-3-11-4 



2 

 9-8-20-4 



3 

 15-4-30-2 



4 

 20-4-35- 



5 



24-5-38-8 



6 

 28-2-38-4 



7 

 31-8-39-0 



The fish were landed, as has already been stated, between 

 the 4th and 10th of April, and growth for this year had commenced 

 in most of the fish of four and five years of age, but in only a small 

 number of older fish could there be seen anji^hing to show that 

 growth had begun. Two small lemon dabs, 23-8 and 18-6 cm. 

 long, obtained from samples of plaice and common dabs from 

 Blyth Bay, were got on the 17th and 20th of April respectively. 

 They had completed three j^ears' growth, and the fourth, as will 

 be seen from fig. 1, Plate I., was represented by some four or five 

 concentric ridges at the anterior portion of the scale. 



It is apparent therefore that in the case of J^oung lemon dabs 

 growth begins in March. Fish which are from five to six years 

 of age, and in which growth is slomng doT\ai, do not commence 

 their year's growth until the end of March or the beginning of 

 April, and this is further postponed in the case of older fish. 



DAB AND PLAICE Pleuronectes limanda and P. platessa. 



Every year during April and May quantities of small fiat fish, 

 consisting chiefly of young dabs and plaice and a small number 



