530 THE SANDNECKER, OH LONG ROUGH DAB. 



S\v.; Sand-FUjnder, or sand- flounder, Norw.; Mare-Fbjndor, 

 Dan.* ; P. mlcroceplialus, Flem.) was less common in our 

 Skilrgard than the several species named ; and the like 

 Avould seem to be the case elsewhere on the western coast, 

 where it is met with from the Sound to at least as high 

 up as Bergen (lat. 60|°). Kroyer, iiideed, imagines that 

 as it is an Icelandic fish, its range to the northward is 

 probably much more extended. Ekstrom tells us it is not 

 an inhabitant of the Baltic ; but Boie, on the contrary, that 

 it is met with at Kiel. Its usual length is from ten to 

 twelve inches, and Kroyer does not recollect seeing speci- 

 mens exceeding fifteen or sixteen inches, which he says 

 may he considered its maximum. Its favourite resorts 

 ai"e stony ground ; and hence Berg-Skddda, the name by 

 which it is best known to the fishermen. English natu- 

 ralists tell us it spawns in May, and Nilsson, in July ; 

 Kroyer, from careful examination of its sexual organs, 

 is inclined to believe it does not deposit its ova until 

 late in the autumn or early winter. Its flesh is valued, 

 being considered equal to that of the common plaice. 



The Sandnecker, or Long Bough Dab {Ler-Skadda ; 

 Ler-Flimdra, or clay-flounder, Svv. ; Saaisinff, or shark- 

 dab, Dan. ; P. Umandoides, Jen.), which would seem to 

 be somewliat rare in the British seas, is common in the 

 Bohus Skjirgard, and elsewhere on the western coasts of 

 lioth Sweden and Norway, where it ranges up to Tromso 

 (lat. 69^°), and probably still higher. In the Danish 

 seas and the Sound it is also pretty common. But if 

 found in the Baltic, which seems doubtful, it certainly 

 does not penetrate very far into that sea. Its usual 

 length is from ten to eleven inches, though at times it 



* The Danish name, signifying Mary-flounder, reminds one of tlie 

 designation, Mary Sole, given to tliis fish in Devonshire. Another local 

 name under which it is known in Denmark, Sm'dr-Flyruler, i. e. butter- 

 flounder, is an equivalent to the English appellation of Smear-Dab. 



