of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 193 
September, and the measurements, in ‘Scm. groups, are given in Table 
XII. (p. 256). The fish are caught on rough ground off the 
Cumberland coast, in about 4 fathoms of water, and are rather localised 
in their distribution. 
In dealing with them the sexes were first carefully determined, 
microscopical examination being resorted to when necessary ; the propor- 
tions of the sexes in these collections were thus made precise and certain. 
Most of the series were also weighed and the condition of the reproductive 
organs made clear, and some remarks on this head may be of interest. 
In the collection in September it is noted that the females had small 
ovaries, weighing less than one gramme, and usually only a fifth or a 
tenth of a gramme. The eggs were small and unyolked, the largest 
measuring up to ‘106 and ‘134mm. In May the great majority had 
also small unyolked eggs, but some of them had large eggs and 
would have spawned in the ensuing summer, This was the case 
with one measuring 201mm., in which the eggs measured *72mm., and 
also in others from 164mm. to 188mm., where the eggs were of the same 
size. In one of 188mm., weighing 75 grammes, the roe weighed 5°9 
crammes and the eggs were ‘73mm. in diameter. Another of 182mm. 
long weighed 66 grammes, the roe weighing 4:0 grammes, and the 
egos were of the same diameter as those mentioned. I previously 
recorded instances of still smaller lemon dabs being quite mature.* 
These lemon dabs from the Solway Firth varied in length from 55cm. 
to 20cm., the smallest obtained was 57mm. (27 inches) taken in April, 
and the largest was 202mm. (8 inches). The smallest were got in April 
(22nd), aud the Table shows that in ail probability a group terminates 
about 10cm. No males were got between 98mm. and 114mm., and no 
females between 89mm. and 111mm. Two females were taken at 57mm. 
and 59mm., the next being 80mm.; while the smallest male was 71mm. 
There is thus a suggestion that the two females represent the larger 
specimens of a younger group. 
In the May collections three groups appear to be represented, when 
curves are drawn of the measurements; the first and third are only partly 
present, the bulk of the collection consisting of fish from 10cm. to 16cm. 
and aggregated around 13cm. and 14cm. (53 inches). The figures for 
the totals for the 6th and 15th May, grouped into centimetres are as 
follows :— 
The measurements of the separate collections similarly arranged are : 
Cron Ome oo Ol Lae 14a 1516) elie LS ro 20h 2 
Apres) weeks vide: LIS oero Fo Sito. alte 2h) AOS 
Na ygeeO eee el ot Vee Se LN Loy LO 2S NON We AE ad 12), = 
PO eae a Oe lL Se AN OF Son suey) Di an ie 
oy» WAR nih ico pee aii Ras AS ey 2 or! i i! Ke: le aa 
Obviously none of the specimens belong to the year; the smallest must 
be approaching one year of age, or are over it. 
In the collections made in September the extreme range of the sizes is 
very much the same, and the curve of the total shows that a division 
* Twenty-first Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, Part III.. p. 48. 
N 
