368 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



lowing year. The Smooth Dab, as an article of food, is 

 considered by some persons to be of little or no value, in 

 consequence of its possessing a strong, disagreeable, tarry 

 flavour; by others again, no flat fish is said to surpass it in 

 excellence, the flesh being firm and well-tasted. These op- 

 posite opinions may be easily accounted for when we con- 

 sider that the quality of the fish depends solely on the pe- 

 riod of the year in which it is caught. In December, Ja- 

 nuary, and February, the Smooth Dab is in good season 

 for the table; but in April, May, and June, it is found 

 to be of very inferior quality, and on some occasions has 

 been proved unwholesome. It feeds on small shell-fish and 

 Crustacea. I have also met with this species occasionally 

 on the Devonshire coast ; it is said to be rare in Cornwall. 



Platessa limandoides.* — The Long Rough Dab. 



Specific Characters. — Rays of the pectoral and caudal fins rough ; 

 lateral line nearly straight. (Plate XXXVIII.) 



Description. — From a specimen eleven inches in length. Head one- 

 fifth of the whole length, caudal Included ; breadth of the body nearly 

 one third of its length, fins not included. Colour of the upper surface 

 pale brownish-grey ; under surface pure white. Dorsal fin commen- 

 cing over the anterior part of the left orbit, and terminating at a short 

 distance from the caudal fin ; the first ray short ; the forty succeed- 

 ing ones gradually increasing ; the following ten about equal height ; 

 the remainder gradually diminishing ; the last small, rather shorter 

 and finer than the first. Anal commencing a little behind the base 

 of the pectorals and terminating under the last ray of the dorsal, in 

 form similar to the dorsal ; the middle rays equalling the length of 

 the pectorals ; caudal somewhat angular at the end ; the middle 

 ray as long as the base of the first fourteen rays of the anal^ all 

 branched except the three lateral ones, which are much the short- 

 est. Ventrals in advance of the base of the pectorals ; the middle 

 ray which is the longest reaching to the anal spine. Pectorals less 



* Plalessa limundoides, Varr., .len. Pleuronecles liiiiajidoidcs,^\\d\v, IMocli. 

 Saiidsuckei\ Lonr/ Ffc'ih\ San,'/ Fleuk, 



