2 PLEURONECTID^E. 



their dogs to catch it. The following letter was written 

 by Mr. Robert Scarth, of North Ronaldshay, the north- 

 ernmost island of the Orkney group, where the Sail-fluke 

 is very common : " It is never caught by hook or by net, 

 and I have in vain set ground lines for it in the South 

 Bay, baited with Lug-worms, Limpets and Sellocks, 

 neither have Flounder or Skate nets, drawn there, inclosed 

 a Sail-fluke. It seldom comes to the shore earlier than 

 October or later than April, though it is often driven 

 by storms on the beach, entangled among sea- weed. 

 The great supply is, however, obtained in the following 

 manner : In the winter and early spring a pair of Black- 

 headed Gulls take possession of the Bay, drive away all 

 interlopers, and may be seen at daybreak every morning 

 beating from side to side, on the wing, and never both in 

 one place, except in the act of crossing as they pass. The 

 Sail-fluke skims the ridge of the wave towards the shore 

 with its tail raised over its back, and when the wave 

 recedes is left on the sand, into which it burrows so 

 suddenly and completely, that though I have watched its 

 approach, only once have I succeeded in finding its bur- 

 row. The Gull, however, has a surer eye, and casting 

 like a hawk, pounces on the Fluke, from which by one 

 stroke of his bill it extracts the liver. If not disturbed, 

 the Gull no sooner gorges this luscious morsel, than it 

 commences dragging the fish to some outlying rock, 

 where he and his consort may discuss it at leisure. By 

 robbing the Black-backs I have had the house supplied 

 daily with this excellent fish, in weather during which no 

 fishing-boat could put to sea. Close to the beach of South 

 Bay a stone wall has been raised to shelter the crops 

 from the sea-spray. Behind this we posted a smart lad, 

 who kept his eye on the soaring Gulls. The moment one 

 of the birds made its well-known swoop, the boy rushed 



