SOLEA.] PISCES (OSSEI) MALACOPT. 467 



mouth: greatest breadth, dorsal and anal fins excluded, rather more than 

 one-third of the entire length : length of the head just half the breadth 

 of the body : snout obtuse and rounded, projecting beyond the mouth ; 

 this last appearing distorted on the side opposed to the eyes, and fur- 

 nished on that side only with fine velvet-like teeth; upper jaw the long- 

 est: eyes small; distant from each other about twice their diameter; 

 the lower one immediately above the corner of the mouth, the upper one 

 further advanced towards the end of the snout ; the space between them 

 flat : nostrils tubular, placed a little above the lip, one on the upper and 

 the other on the under side of the head : side of the head opposed to the 

 eyes bearded with numerous white fleshy cirri : lateral line arising above 

 the upper eye, and, after making a great curve, descending to the upper 

 part of the opercle; thence running straight to the caudal along the 

 middle of the side : scales small, of an oblong form ; their free edges 

 ciliated, the denticles about ten in number : dorsal commencing a little 

 above the mouth, and extending along the whole ridge of the back quite 

 to the caudal ; its greatest elevation less than one-seventh of the breadth 

 of the body ; all the rays simple, of a compressed conical form, and scaly 

 for the greater part of their length : pectorals one-third the length of the 

 head, both of equal size, placed just behind the upper part of the gill-open- 

 ing; narrow and rounded, with the middle rays longest; first and last rays 

 simple, the others branched: anal commencing a little in advance of 

 the insertion of the pectorals ; answering to the dorsal : caudal oblong, 

 slightly rounded at the extremity : ventrals very small, about two-thirds 

 the length of the pectorals ; situate just in advance of the anal ; third ray 

 longest : 



B. 6; D. 84; A. 67; C. 18; P. 8; V. 5. 



" Number of vertebrae forty-seven *." (Colours.) All the upper side of 

 the body dark brown, the scales edged with a deeper tint, causing a reti- 

 culated appearance ; the pectoral on that side tipped with black : under 

 side of the body white : irides golden yellow. 



Common on all parts of the coast, particularly in the West and South 

 of England, where it attains a large size. Weight, according to Pennant, 

 sometimes so much as six or seven pounds ; usually, however, very much 

 less. Keeps almost entirely at the bottom, and feeds on the eggs and fry 

 of other fish. 



155. S. Pegusa, Yarr. (Lemon Sole.) Greatest 

 breadth, dorsal and anal fins included, half the length : 

 upper side of the body light orange-brown, freckled with 

 dark brown spots; pectoral tipped with black. 

 S. Pegusa, Yarr. in Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 467. pi. 16. 



LENGTH. Eight to ten and a half inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Wider in proportion to its whole length than the 

 Common Sole, and also somewhat thicker : greatest breadth (in a spe- 

 cimen eight inches long), not including the dorsal and anal fins, three 

 inches, including both fins, four inches : head obtuse, shorter and wider : 

 mouth arched : opercle formed externally of a single piece, circular in 

 shape, and less deep : under surface of the head almost smooth, without 

 any of the papillary eminences so remarkable in the Common Sole ; the 

 nostril on that side pierced in a prominent tubular projection, wanting in 



* Yarrell. (Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 468.) 

 GG2 



