THE COMMON AND THE LEMON DAB. 529 



In our Skargiird it was captured both by the line and 

 the net ; and in shallow water it was not unfrequently 

 speared. When the surface of the sea is ruffled, the 

 fisherman at times pours a little train-oil on it, which 

 causes it to become smooth as glass, and the man is in 

 consequence enabled to see whatever object lies at the 

 bottom. For the table it is looked upon as a much 

 inferior fish to the plaice. 



The Flounder would seem to thrive nearly equally well 

 in fresh as in salt water. Some years ago Sir Thomas 

 Maryon Wilson introduced a number of these fish into a 

 large piece of water on his estate at Searles, in Sussex, 

 which, when I was last there, throve remarkably well, and 

 may be still living, for all I know to the contrary. 



The Common Dab (Sand-S/cddda, Sliitt-Flundra, Sw. ; 

 Sand-Flynder, Norw. ; Sltette, Ising, Dan. ; P. Limanda, 

 Flem.) was likewise common with us, and elsewhere on 

 the western coast to and beyond the North Cape. It is 

 also common in the Baltic, as high up as the Stockholm 

 Skargiird and the Gulf of Finland. Its usual length is 

 from ten to eleven inches, and seldom much exceeds a 

 foot. Its food consists of small crustaceans and other 

 marine animals. The stomachs of several dissected by 

 Professor Sundevall were found filled with small Idotece, 

 as also pieces of Annelides, and branches of small Alga3 

 (Ceramiiim, Fuel). The spawning season with this fish 

 is in early summer, say May or June, or somewhat later 

 than that of the two species named. The young are 

 supposed to be of slow growth. Sundevall imagines 

 they do not arrive at maturity until their third or fourth 

 year. In Sweden this fish would appear to be esteemed 

 for the table ; but in Denmark in Copenhagen at least 

 Kro'yer tells us it is but little cared for. 



The Lemon Dab, or Smooth Dab (Bery-Skadda, or 

 rock-flounder ; Phtddrr-iin/ii, or thick-lipped flounder, 



2 M 



