EGGS OF SOLE YOUNG SOLES SWIM ON ONE SIDE. 187 



The eggs of the sole are very minute, smaller than 

 turnip seed. According to my observations a sole of 

 lib. weight carries eggs to the number of 134,000. 



When giving his evidence before my colleague, Mr. 

 Walpole, and myself during the Sea Fisheries Inquiry, 

 at Mevagissey, Cornwall, Mr. Matthias Dunn (who for 

 knowledge and observation of deep-sea fish may be said 

 to be the successor of the late Mr. Jonathan Couch) told 

 us in evidence that young plaice and soles ichen first 

 hatched out always swam on their edge for about a week, 

 and that in this condition theij had their eyes 7i2:)on different 

 sides of the head. 



In the spring of 1879 Mr. Dunn most kindly sent 

 me living specimens, that I might verify his statement. 

 An ordinary sole, as everj^body knows, has a white side 

 and a dark side. He always swims at the bottom, the 

 white side down and the dark side up. He has tw^o 

 eyes ; these eyes are both on the dark side, and both 

 look upwards. The plaice is also the same. The hving 

 specimens wiiicli Mr. Dunn has sent me are about the 

 size of a rice grain, only very thin and transparent ; 

 and, sure enough, instead of having both eyes (bright 

 opalescent specks) on one side, they have one on the 

 lower or white side, and one on the upper or dark side. 



What is also most curious is that when the little 

 fellows swim in mid- water, as they sometimes do, they 

 do not progress with a waving serpentine motion, as do 

 their fathers and mothers, but swim on one side moving 

 their fins very rapidly ; their mouth is then in the 

 middle, and there is one eye on each side, just as in a 

 "round " fish, such as the salmon, perch, &c. I have 

 gone fully into this curious point in the Deep Sea 

 Fisheries Eeport, where I have also made the following 

 remarks : — 



