392 FISHES. 



its eggs on its back, the so-called eggs being in reality 

 tumours. The colour of the flounder, which is observed 

 to vary according to locality, is usually of a dark brown, 

 with darker mottlings ; and the fish has tubercles, mostly 

 along the lateral line. The eyes are close together, some- 

 what above the level of the head, though left-eyed flounders 

 are not uncommon. The teeth of the flounder are conical, 

 most developed on the left side, and its food appears to 

 consist largely of worms and molluscs. It spawns in 

 March or April. 



The Lemon-Sole is occasionally sold by the fishmonger as 

 " Sole," but the difference between it and the true sole is 

 Lemon- so striking that it is fair to suppose that his 

 Sole. customer makes the purchase with her eyes 

 open. It is also known as the " Mary Sole," and Cunning- 

 ham suggests a better name in "Lemon-Dab." Oval in 

 shape, this fish is so smooth to the touch as to seem slimy, 

 and in colour it is yellow with dark markings. The eyes 

 are normally on the right side. The spawning-time of the 

 lemon-sole appears to vary on different parts of the coast, 

 April being the month on the south-west coast, June and 

 July in the North Sea. This fish is widely distributed in 

 British seas, though its movements in Scottish waters would 

 seem to be somewhat uncertain. It feeds on crustaceans. 



The last of the plaice group, the Witch, is a less familiar 

 form, pale brown in colour, with some dusky marks on the 

 Pole Dab left side, longer in body than the plaice, and 

 or "Witch, having a rough skin. Like the preceding, it 

 lacks the spine found before the anal fin of the plaice and 

 dab. The lateral line is almost straight. The food con- 

 sists of worms, spawn, and other soft matter, and it 

 appears to spawn in summer. It is also known as the 

 Pole-flounder. 



In the concluding group of flat-fishes we have the most 



