76 THE IMMATURE FISH QUESTION. 
and the number is not very great. I have heard that larger numbers 
are taken by the ground seines on the coast of Devon, but have not 
yet made personal investigation of this mode of fishing. 
Curiously enough on the eastern grounds, which are so often re- 
ferred to, small or immature soles are not taken in any important 
numbers, according to the observations of Mr. Holt. The destruc- 
tion of soles too small for the market by inshore fishing in the 
Humber has been shown to be insignificant by Mr. Holt in the pre- 
ceding number of this Journal, as they are returned to the sea alive. 
A considerable number, however, from 6 to 10 inches long are taken 
and sent to market by shrimp trawlers in the Humber. On the 
Lancashire coast Mr. Dawson finds similar facts with regard to 
soles. Large numbers of soles are taken in the district much under 
the size which should be taken, but few under 4 inches have been 
observed. In trials with the shrimp trawl Mr. Dawson constantly 
took small soles and plaice in such proportions as 4 to 900, 136 to 
520, 8 to 720, and so on. The whiting were even more numerous 
than the plaice. On the west coast of Ireland Mr. Holt found only 
three soles under 10 inches out of a total of 529. The history of 
the early stages of the sole is by no means cleared up. The probable 
conclusion is that the young are not principally aggregated at parti- 
cular depths or in particular regions, and few have been taken in 
deep water because small-meshed trawls have been little worked 
there. It is desirable, however, to protect the young which do occur 
in shallow water, and I think the best way would be not to allow 
them to be taken in territorial waters. As inthe case of the plaice, 
it would be possible to compel the men to return all soles caught by 
inshore fishing alive to the water. It has been urged that it would 
not be practically easy to discriminate between fish caught in terri- 
torial waters and others. Butit would be sufficient to inflict penalties 
for taking certain fish in territorial waters, without interfering with 
market, landing, or sale. In places where the fish were exceedingly 
abundant all kinds of fishing could be prohibited. 
Turbot. 
Hitherto I have only examined seven turbot, and these were the 
smallest I could obtain ; none were under 12 inches, and all were 
landed by deep sea trawlers. Three were mature males, the smallest 
13 inches long; there were no immature males. Three were imma- 
ture females, the largest 17 inches long. The smallest mature female 
was 19 inches long. These results, so far as they go, indicate that 
there is no difference between the south-west coast and the North 
Sea with regard to this fish. Mr. Holt says the prohibition of turbot 
