414, EXAMINATION OF THE PRESENT STATE 
almost always informed that they had been culled out of a consign- 
ment from Lowestoft. 
I found it impossible to keep statistical account of the mature 
and immature soles landed, nor have I made any attempt to secure 
even the total numbers. I may remark that large numbers are con- 
signed from abroad, and some from our own western ports, but I am 
not aware whether these have been deducted in the preparation of 
official returns. If they have not, the returns are worse than useless. 
With regard to the destruction of immature soles by deep-sea 
trawlers, I have myself seen one immature specimen caught in the 
course of my peregrinations on board of Grimsby vessels. I have exa- 
mined a good many catches brought to market, but have never been 
able to find any large proportion of undersized ; probably the whole 
amount of sexually immature fish does not exceed 30 per cent., 
nor is there evidence that many soles too small for market are 
destroyed at sea by Grimsby vessels. I do not know that any of 
less than 8 inches are brought in. I often hear of quantities of very 
small soles being caught, but whenever samples have been submitted 
to my inspection they have consisted exclusive of solenettes (Solea 
lutea), useless creatures which never grow more than about 5 
inches long. Such seem to be common on the Well Bank, and also 
on the sole and small plaice grounds on the eastern side. The very 
small stages of the common sole appear to me to live too close inshore 
for our deep-sea trawlers to get at them. 
IT have not been able to collect continuous statistics of the proportion 
of immature turbot landed. ‘Turbot and brill are always laid out in 
rows for sale, and to collect the total numbers and proportions of 
large and small would involve counting every fish on the pontoon— 
a task for which my other occupations left no leisure. However, 
by counting them for a considerable number of days one probably 
arrived at a fairly trustworthy estimate, and by this method I found 
that the proportion of fish under 17 inches does not exceed 30 per 
cent. except during the time when the Hastern grounds are being 
worked. The limit of sexual maturity in the female stands at about 
18 inches, but I have not made any calculations upon that basis. 
Of the fish from other than Eastern grounds which failed to reach 17 
inches, I always found that a large proportion were mature males, 
since the male may be fully mature at only 12 inches. Very few fish 
of less than 12 inches are brought in from any ground, and I do not 
think many are caught by deep-sea trawlers. I do not know that 
any of less than 10 inches are caught. 
But, as regards sexually immature fish, the number caught on the 
Eastern grounds is very considerable. ‘Thus in June, 1892, the 
aggregate of thirty-one “‘ voyages ”’ of steamers and smacks on the 
