378 EXAMINATION OF THE PRESENT STATE 
The turbot and the brill appear to be generally regarded as fish 
of the same size, but though one occasionally sees a brill which has 
reached a length equal to that of a very large turbot, there is no 
doubt that the turbot is, speaking generally, considerably the larger 
species of the two. ‘The difference is emphasised by that which 
manifests itself mm the sizes at which females of the respective 
species come to maturity, and in fixing the limit for the turbot at 
18 inches I have, if anything, placed it rather too low. I have 
never seen a fully mature female turbot of less than 184 inches, 
but there does not seem to be as much variation in this as in most 
other species in the assumption of the mature condition. 
The smallest mature or nearly mature female sole which has come 
under my notice measured 104 inches. 
Plaice are rather variable, as I have found an apparently mature 
female to measure only 13 inches ; but I am certain that the majority 
of North Sea plaice only commence to spawn when about 17 inches 
long. I have added considerably to my inquiries since the figures 
on which I based the standard of 17 inches were published, but the 
results have only confirmed my previous conclusion. 
From time to time I have heard of the occurrence of very small 
spawning plaice, but 1t has always chanced that, for some reason o1 
other, the specimen could not be procured for my inspection, nor 
have I been able to get any details of the actual measurements. I 
have found it an invariable rule that fishermen and fish merchants 
considerably under-estimate the length of a flat-fish, so that a state- 
ment about a ripe fish of 12 inches would almost certainly refer to 
one which actually measured at least 14 inches. Nevertheless I 
am inclined to think that very small spawning plaice are occasion- 
ally taken in the North Sea, but that such belong to a very distinct 
variety. In the Association’s Journal (vol. i, p. 194) I have 
described a dwarf variety of the plaice which appears to have its 
head-quarters in the Baltic. The variety first came under my 
notice on the Grimsby pontoon, whither several consignments were 
sent in 1894 by a firm of German fish-merchants. The largest fish 
of the lot only measured 134 inches, and all were full of roe or milt, 
the smallest ripe female being only 94 inches long. The coloura- 
tion was unfamiliar to me, and I at once formed the opinion that 
the fish had not been caught in the North Sea, an opinion supported 
by the presence, among the plaice. of a number of flounders which 
were very much more spinous than any I had previously seen. I 
was subsequently informed by the consignors that the whole lot had 
been caught in the Baltic, where the plaice-like forms are known 
as “ Goldbutt.” 
On close examination the small plaice were found to comprise a 
