eS Ea One ND Ea 
(Pleuronectes flesus) 
Tue freshwater flounder or fluke inhabits all the rivers in Great 
Britain except those that have barriers or those into which it has 
not been introduced. The usual barriers which prevent their ascent 
are waterfalls, weirs, and strong currents. The shape of the flounder 
makes it ill-adapted for surmounting obstacles. The moment they 
rise from the bottom of the stream the rushing water takes hold of 
them, and they are washed down. I have never seen flounders in 
rivers that have weirs with a gradient of one in twelve. The greatest 
number are found in estuaries of rivers and in lochs. The flounder 
is not at all particular as to what it eats, and can be caught with 
almost any bait. In fresh water they are usually caught with worm. 
Salmon net-fishers catch them all day long, the greatest number in 
the rising tide. The eyes are very large and are placed on the right 
side. The belly also is on the right side, which is peculiar. 
Once when catching flounders in the river Tay a wag asked me 
if those I had were Tay flounders or Earn flounders. After looking 
at them he said they were all Tay flounders, because their eyes were 
all on the right side ; therefore, on ascending from the sea, they could 
net seevthe arn, as the latter jomed the Day on them leit, he 
eyes placed in this position enable the fish to see all round it, even 
when flat on the ground. The eyes enable it, also, to change its 
colour according to the nature of the soil it is resting on. This 
changing of colour goes on continually from dark to light, and 
from light to dark, all “in the twinkling of an eye.” When the fish 
254 
