48 Dabs: where sold. Breeding sizes. 



As autumn wanes and the cold weather creeps on apace, they 

 increase in ratio with corresponding improvement in con- 

 dition and size ; indeed, their flesh then is excellent. 



The Leighmen's markets for their trawl-caught fish, dabs 

 inclusive, are Chatham, Sheerness and Leigh. The fish- 

 hawkers there are the immediate purchasers, who afterwards 

 distribute the fish to the population of these places and the 

 surrounding neighbourhood. Unless those few dabs accident- 

 ally caught with the sprats in stowboating, none are sent to 

 London. Those that the fishermen retain for home consumption, 

 or for local sale, vary in size from 5 to 9 or 10 inches, more 

 exceptionally they are got a foot long. A dab of 13 inches has 

 been recorded as taken in the Crouch in 1891 (Fitch). 



On two occasions we examined batches of dabs exposed for 

 sale on a fishmonger's slab at Leigh towards the end of January, 

 of which the following is an epitome : 



(a) Lot close on 50 in number. Six of these were chosen 

 as representing, on hasty glance, the largest of the series. They 

 proved all females. One was 9 inches and four 9| inches long, 

 one 11 and another 12 inches in length. In the last the roe 

 was quite ripe, in the others nearly ripe. All had young sprats 

 or herrings in their stomachs, whereof two, those least digested, 

 were 2J and 3J inches long. The remaining lot of forty dabs 

 were not so critically examined ; however, the very shortest 

 was 6J, with intermediate sizes to 9 inches. Both sexes were 

 present, and nearly every one appeared less or more in breed- 

 ing condition. 



(6) There were two dozen in this lot, of which a half were 

 opened. Shortest, 6| ; longest, 7f inches. Seven males, 

 remainder females, both partially or nearly ripe. The remain- 

 ing half of series appeared chiefly females ; but all were in 

 breeding condition, ranging from 7 to 9 inches. 



The above fully confirms Dr. Wemyss Fulton's researches,* 

 who even found mature females of 5J, and | -mature males 4 



* Eighth and 10th Ann. Report Fish. Board, Scotland, for 1889 and 1891. 



