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might be cited from our statistics. On the other hand 

 Mr. Ascroft and others who have an extensive practical 

 acquaintance with the fishing of the district, seem to think 

 that the two species are not found on the same ground, 

 but that the sole is more abundant outside the banks and 

 the solenette in the channels inside, and that the sole 

 lives usually on a muddy bottom, and the solenette on 

 sandy ground — the prevalent colours of the two species 

 in our neighbourhood certainly favour this latter view. 

 However there can be no doubt that for a considerable 

 time in summer the soles and solenettes are to a large 

 extent associated together in the Horse Channel, Welsh- 

 man's Gut, Kibble Gut, and other Channels where the sole 

 fishing is prosecuted. 



As to their food, our statistics show that they feed 

 together on the same forms, various Crustacea, Annelids 

 and Mollusca — with the addition of Copepoda in the case 

 of the solenette. Consequently it is my opinion that, as 

 far as our investigations go, there is considerable ground 

 for supposing that the solenette which is very plentiful 

 in our shallower waters — and, it must be remembered, is 

 a perfectly useless fish from the economic point of view — 

 really interferes with the sole and is probably accountable 

 for a good deal of the enormous mortality which must 

 take place amongst immature soles. If there was much 

 destruction of young fish by larger carnivorous fish in our 

 inshore waters, if for example the Turbot was an abundant 

 fish, then the numerous solenettes might be of great use 

 in serving as food and so giving the young soles a better 

 chance of escaping being eaten. But that is not the case 

 here, so I think there can be no doubt that it would do no 

 harm to the sole fishery, and might do good, if the 

 solenettes were killed off. We may regard with equa- 

 nimity their capture in large numbers by Shrimp-trawlers 



