Lemon-Sole and Common Dab. 



47 



Those examined by us seemed to have fed chiefly on marine 

 worms and only occasionally on crustaceans. The paucity of 

 numbers taken in the Estuary do not render them of such 

 economic importance as at some stations. At Leigh smear-dab 

 is the only name given them, elsewhere they are known as 

 Mary-sole, lemon-dab, lemon-sole, &c. 



Mention has been made in the introductory remarks to the 

 Pleuronectidee of changes in their early stages which the two 

 cuts subjoined partially illustrates. 



FIG. 7. Young (larval) stage 

 of the Smear-dab, or Lemon-dab 

 (PleuronectesmicrocephalitaJ ,wlieii 

 it swirns like an ordinary round 

 fish, and with its eyes on opposite 

 sides of the head. 



FJG. 8. The young Lemon- 

 dab at a later stage when 

 it begins to lay flat. It 

 shows the left eye shifting 

 towards the right side and 

 just appearing on the ridge 

 of the head. Both tigs, en- 

 larged from nature (after 

 Mclnto?h).* 



(4.) The COMMON DAB (Pleurouectes liinanda) is truly one of 

 the commonest fishes in the whole of the Thames Estuary. It 

 has a distribution nearly identical with the plaice. Occasion- 

 ally, though, the dab is found to frequent the deeper water 

 channels (swins and deeps) during the sprat season, being 

 caught in the stowboat nets at all depths. These so-called 

 " sprat-dabs " are generally well-fed, large and plump fellows. 

 Although both dabs and plaice are at all times caught together, 

 yet in the cold weather the plaice proportionally are quite the 

 minority in number. 



The winter dabs are usually the biggest ; those of the 

 spring time preponderating in the smaller sized sort. During 

 summer they are still caught, but a great reduction in numbers. 



* We are indebted to Professor Mclntosh, F.R.S., for the use of these wood blocks, 

 as well as Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12, and beg to return the Sub-Committee's due thanks 

 for the same. 



