230 



EATE OF GEOWTH OY SOME SEA FISHES. 



evidence now that during the summer alter they are hatched they 

 remain in shallow water. 



Dr. Fulton states that eleven young soles, 2| to 6 inches long, 

 were taken in June in the Solway Firth, and that six soles, 5 to 

 7 inches in length, were taken in one morning's fishing on the 

 Lancashire coast ; but these are only soles about one year old, such 

 as I stated in my previous paper to be taken in Plymouth Sound. 

 But Mr. H. C. Sorby of Broomfield, Sheffield, has informed me 

 that, in August 1890, he took several soles only about 2 inches long, 

 in Bawdsey Haven in Suffolk. He sent me one specimen of these, 

 and I found there was no doubt about its being of the species 

 8. vulgaris. This speciojen was 5 cm., or 2 inches long, and having 

 been captured in August must have been about 4 months old. 



Zeugopterus punctatus, Midler's Toplmot. 



On July 9th, 1891, I took four specimens of this species in an 

 otter trawl at a depth of 25 fathoms between the Eddystone and 

 the Rame Head. These specimens measured 6"2, 6'5, 8*2, 9*5 cm. 

 (2-4, 2-6, 3-2, 3-7 inches) respectively. On March 21st, 1892, our 

 fisherman took a specimen 8*4 cm. long 6 miles from the break- 

 water. To my surprise this small specimen was a perfectly ripe 

 female yielding ripe transparent ova on the slightest pressure. 

 The ova were '9 mm in diameter and contained a single oil-globule 

 •15 mm. in diameter. The ova were evidently pelagic. Mr. George 

 Brook has described the eggs of the other species Z. unimaculatus 

 [Ichthyological Notes, Fourth Report of the Fishery Board for 

 Scotland), and states that they were "96 mm. diameter in the pre- 

 served condition and had a single oil-globule. Brook obtained the 

 eggs from a single ripe female 5 inches in length. 



Z. punctatus reaches a maximum length of 7 or 8 inches, about 

 18 to 20 cm. Those taken in July, 1891, may have been only one 

 year and three or four months oldj the ripe specimen being two 

 years, but small for its age. 



Scomber scohrus, the Macherel. 



