108 APRIL. 



changing their position from horizontal to vertical ; if 

 the observer happens to be opposite the white side, 

 they may be seen to pass with the rapidity and flash 

 of a meteor ; but they soon sink down, resuming their 

 previous motionless, horizontal position, and are then 

 distinguished with difficulty, owing to their great simi- 

 larity in colour to the surface on which they rest." 1 



On several occasions I have, when examining the 

 contents of the shrimpers' nets, found a pretty little 

 species of flat-fish, which, though we find it not at this 

 moment, is a pretty constant inhabitant of these sandy 

 beaches. It is too small and too worthless for the 

 fisherman to have a distinctive name for it, but our sys- 

 tematic books call it a Topknot, 2 and assign to it near 

 consanguinity with the majestic and delicious turbot. 

 It is marked as very rare; but I have seen three or 

 four come up at a haul of the drag, and have found 

 it among the rocks. Not long ago, I took a specimen 

 by turning over a flat stone in a sandy pool in this 

 ledge. It was indeed small, not exceeding an inch and 

 a half in length ; the ordinary size of those that occur 

 as the shrimps' companions in captivity; but their 

 utmost growth scarcely attains five inches. 



i British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 298. 



8 Rhombus punctatus, delineated at the right-band side of Plate xu., 

 adhering to a flat stone. 



