FLAT 



confound the estimation in which they are held by 

 professed and systematic naturalists with that in which 

 they deserve to be held by the public generally. 

 With the naturalist every animal is esteemed very 

 much in the proportion of its rarity, so that one strange 

 fish previously unknown is received with greater 

 pleasure, and esteemed of more value than a whole 

 boat load of the very best fish that was ever brought 

 to market. This is all very well in so far as pro- 

 moting the mere science of the matter is concerned; 

 but as the end of all real science is usefulness, it were 

 desirable that at least equal attention should be paid to 

 that which is of the greatest value. Acting upon this 

 conviction, we shall briefly notice those rarer species 

 or varieties, even such of them as appear on the British 

 coast, while \ve shall pass in silence those others which 

 are equally rare in the general ichthyology of the 

 world. 



The Whiff (R. megastoma). This species receives 

 its trivial name from the size of its mouth, which is 

 large, and has the lower jaw the longest. The lateral 

 line forms a large arch near the pectorals, and is 

 marked by a row of tubercles along its length. The 

 dorsal and anal fins are broadest toward the middle. 

 The length is about a foot and a half, the colour of the 

 upper part mottled with brown of different shades, 

 and the under side white with a blush or tinge reddish. 

 The eyes are large and stand up from the head, with 

 irides of a golden yellow colour. The extremity of 

 the tail is slightly rounded. This species has been 

 long known upon the south coast of England, but has 

 never occurred in such numbers as to render it a very 

 interesting fish, in the popular sense of the term. It 

 is more elongated in its form than most of the sub- 

 genus. 



77/6- Top-knot (R, punctatus}. This species is still 

 rarer ; and if those specimens which have been casu- 

 ally met with have been full grown ones, it is much 

 smaller than any of the others, rarely exceeding five 

 or six inches. Its body is rounder than that of the 

 whiff, and the surface is rough from the scales having 

 little projecting teeth or spines to the number of from 

 four to eight on each scale. The colour on the upper 

 part is black with spots of brown, and small clots of 

 red ; and that on the under side is white. It has 

 been principally described from specimens taken from 

 the Cornish coast ; but from some of the accounts it 

 appears to be much more common on the Shetland 

 islands, at the opposite extremity of the British do- 

 minions. It is too rare, however, and too insignificant 

 to be an object of general interest. 



The Scald-fish (R. aniglossns) is a small species very 

 local on the southern coast, so far as observation has 

 gone. In shape it resembles the sole more than the 

 turbot. We quote the following description of it 

 from Mr. Hanmer. " The colour of the upper side is 

 a pale brown or dirty white. The body has some- 

 thing of the same pellucid appearance as the lantern, 

 though in a less degree. Head rather small ; the 

 jaws of equal length, blunt ; the lateral line bent near 

 the head. The dorsal tin consists of eighty-two rays, 

 as does the anal, which reaches to the tail, the pectorals 

 of ten rays ; a double row of rays, five in each, from 

 the ventral fins ; behind is one or more short and 

 sharp spines ; the tail is rounded at the extremity ; 

 the rays of all the fins, including those of the tail, are 

 bristly, and connected by a thin fibre or pellicle, which 

 is easily broken. The scales are so deciduous that 

 the friction of the trawl alone is sufficient to remove 



-FISH. 503 



them ; when taken out of the net they are usually 

 dead, and in that bare state, which gives some pro- 

 priety to the name they are known by, of scald-fish. 

 They seem only to be known at Plymouth, and occur 

 there very rarely. Their length is rather more than 

 five inches ; their breadth not exceeding two inches ; 

 and are probably the smallest of the English species, 

 and of corresponding value." 



From the accounts which are given of these smaller 

 members of the turbot sub-genus, it is probable that 

 they run more into the character of the soles, than 

 into that of any of the other sub-genera ; and it is 

 worthy of remark, that the sole and the turbot, which 

 are the typical fishes of their respective divisions, are 

 also the best in quality of all the flat-fishes ; and that 

 the sole especially is the one which is the most con- 

 stantly in season. 



SOLEA. The fishes of this division are perhaps, 

 when we take all their qualities into account, the 

 most valuable of the whole of the flat fish. Individ- 

 ually, they are not nearly so large as turbot ; but 

 when in fine condition they are perhaps more delicate; 

 and their great abundance and long continuance in 

 season are considerations of great importance. There 

 are some different species or varieties of soles ; but 

 the distinctions between these are not very great ; and 

 there appears to be much similarity in the manners 

 of the whole. They are fishes of the temperate 

 rather than of the cold latitudes ; and for this reason 

 they are far more abundant on the southern parts of 

 the British coasts than on the northern. 



The most remarkable character of the soles is that 

 of the mouth, which is different from the mouth of any 

 other fish. It is twisted, or forms a curious oblique 

 crown ; and that side on which the eyes are situated 

 has no teeth. The teeth on the other are also very 

 small, and arranged something like the pile of velvet. 

 Their general form is oblong ; their muzzle rounded, 

 and almost always projects beyond the mouth, the 

 dorsal fin begins at the mouth, and both it and the 

 anal fin are united to the caudal ; thus forming a 

 margin of fin round the whole body, with the ex- 

 ception of a small portion at the head end. The 

 lateral line is straight; and the side of the head 

 opposite to the eyes is generally villous. Their 

 intestines are long, without caeca, but often with 

 considerable duplications. 



The species best known is the common sole ; Solea 

 vulgaris, which varies in length from about one foot 

 to nearly two, and weighs from one pound to seven, 

 though specimens of the latter weight are not very 

 common. Its colour on the upper part is brown, and 

 that on the under part white. The irides of the eyes 

 are yellow, with a trace of red. On the head the 

 lateral line is curved upwards, but it is straight in the 

 rest of the body ; the caudal finis pointed or rounded. 

 The scales, which are small, are rough, and fringed at 

 their margins with about ten small spines. These 

 scales are very beautiful in their structure, and much 

 prized as objects for microscopic display. The skin 

 is also strong and tough, and contains a great quan- 

 tity of gelatine. The flesh when of good quality is 

 peculiarly white and firm, and understood to be very 

 light and easy of digestion. Soles are generally taken 

 by a trawl net at considerable depth in the water, 

 and at the distance of from twelve to twenty miles 

 from the coasts. They are sought after with con- 

 siderable avidity. 



In the warmer seas, and in the Mediterranean 



