of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 199 
Of the other collections whose measurements are given in the Tables, 
it may be said that in that taken on 13th May at the “ Doghole,” off 
Aberdeen, in 55 fathoms, in which case the sexes were separately dealt 
with, the younger series is imperfectly represented. A group beginning 
as to the females about 12cm. or 13cm. shows an aggregation at |14cm. 
and 14:5em., the apex in the curve of the measurements being at 14°5cm., 
after which there is a drop to 15°5cm. and a subsequent rise, indicating 
that the third series in the collection of 1st April contains two series. 
This is rather confirmed by the position of the aggregation of the males, 
the apex of the curve being in the gap between, viz. at 15-bcm. The 
numbers, however, are not very large. 
TURBOT (Rhombus (Bothus) maximus). 
Observations as to the rate of growth of this important flat-fish leave 
much to be desired. The number measured by me, the measurements of 
which are given in Table XVII., was 212, but comparatively few of these 
refer to young fishes. 
The spawning period is in summer, from about the middle of April to 
the early part of August, and is at its height in June. The larval turbot 
measures 2°2mm. to 2°8mm.; after the absorption of the yolk, in about a 
week, it measures 3°2mm. to 4°8mm., and metamorphosis is usually com- 
pleted at about 27mm.* 
The pelagic metamorphosing forms are got in August and September, 
and partly in July, and the young forms on the sands in September and 
later. Thus Cunningham notes the pelagic forms from early in August 
till 8th September, measuring from 15mm, to 37mm., and which he 
thought were about one month old, but are probably older. 
M‘Intosh refers to specimens of 21mm. to 28mm. in July and August, 
and of 41mm. to 62mm. on 7th September; on 18th September, three, 
respectively, 44mm., 48mm., and 55mm., were got by me at the mouth of 
the Don. M‘Intosh records them 3 inches long (about 7*5cm.) in the 
middle of December, and this is the largest for the year of which I have 
noted a definite record. 
From this time on to about the end of March it is almost certain the 
turbot grows little or not at all, as with other small flat-fishes in the 
same habitat. 
In the spring of the next year the recorded sizes are as follows :—23rd 
May, 23 inches (60mm.), by M‘Intosh; April 25th, 79mm.; May 16th, 
three at 68mm., 73mm., and 8hmm., by Cunningham, who also says that 
from April to June, at Cleethorpes, they measure from 75mm. to 105mm, 
(3-42 inches). I received one from the Solway Firth, taken on 23rd 
April, which measured 95mm., while another from the same locality, 
caught on 27th November, was 119mm. (4? inches), and had no devbt 
passed through the second summer of its life. 
The young turbot at or approaching one year of age is thus a very little 
fish, and probably ranges in size from about 70mm. (27 inches) or less to 
about 105mm. (4% inches). 
A tank experiment of Cunningham’s may be mentioned. In June he 
put into a tank a number of young turbot in the pelagic transforming 
stage; on the 19th October three, whose measurements are given, were 
65mm., 95mm., and 99mm. respectively; on 4th April, in the next year, 
the one which survived was 108mm. 
* Ehrenbaum, Nordisches Plankton, Vierte Lieferung, I. Eier und Larven von Fischen. 
Theil J., p. 199, Kiel und Leipzig, 1905. 
