SOFT-FINNED FISH. 



301 



the fins covering the gills with seven rays ; 

 three scales only on the whole body ; two in 

 the place of the ventral fins ; and the third 

 from that of the anus. 



shells and the intervening interstices, give the intestines 

 somewhat the appearance of strings of heads. On further 

 examination, some of them were found nearly dissolved, 

 others partly so, but many of them whole. The most 

 usual food of soles is, the spawn and young of other fish. 

 These fish are found on all of the British coasts ; but 

 those of the western shores are much superior in size to 

 what are taken in the north, since they are sometimes 

 found of the weight of six or seven pounds. The prin- 

 cipal fishery for soles is in Torbay. 



The Flounder, or Fluke, is one of the most common 

 of the flat fish, and is abundant in our rivers and 

 coasts. It feeds on aquatic insects, worms, and small 

 insects. There are more varieties of the flounder than 

 of any other species of flat-fish. 



The Bearded Flounder. The eyes of this fish are 

 both on the same side of the head. The body is com- 

 pressed, one side representing the back, and the other 

 the abdomen. The whole body is scattered with gray 

 spots ; and it is bearded all round the fore part of the 

 head. This fish is a native of the Indian and Red seas, 

 measuring seven or eight inches in length. It seems to 

 have been first considered a distinct species by Gronovius, 

 but does not occur in the Systema Naturae of Linnaeus. 



The Plaice. Plaice are very flat, and much more 

 square than the generality of flat-fish. Behind the left 

 eye there is a row of six tubercles, that reaches to the 

 commencement of the lateral line. The upper part of 

 the body and fins are of a clear brown, marked with large 

 bright orange- coloured spots ; the belly is white. These 

 fish are very common on most of our coasts, and some- 

 times taken of the weight of fifteen pounds,butthey seldom 

 reach that size, one of eight or nine pounds being reck- 

 oned a large fish. The best and largest are taken off 

 Rye, on the coast of Sussex, and in Ireland; also off the 

 Dutch coasts. They are watery eating ; but are, not- 

 withstanding, admired by some. They spawn in the 

 beginning of February. 



Ihe Dab, or, as it is called in Edinburgh, the Saltic 

 or Salt-water Fluke , is found with the preceding species, 

 but is less common. It is generally of a uniform brown 

 colour on the upper side, though sometimes clouded 

 with a darker. The scales are small and rough, which is a 

 character of this species. The lateral line is extremely 

 incurvated in the beginning, then goes quite straight to 

 the tail. The lower part of the body is white. This fish 

 is in best season during February, March, and April, 

 theyspawn in May and June, and become flabby and watery 

 the rest of the summer. They are superior in quality 

 to the plaice and flounder, but rather inferior in size. 



The Lemon Dab, Smooth Dab, or Sand Fluke, is not 

 so common as the above. It is a prettier fish to look at, 



having various shades of reddish brown and yellow. The 

 flesh is equal to that of the common dab, and the sub- 

 stance of the body thicker. 



The Holibut is one of the largest species of flat fish, 

 but is chiefly confined to the Northern seas. Their flesh 

 ts dry and has little flavour, but oil is obtained from them. 



Soft-famed Abdominal Fish. 



39. The Loricaria. The body crusted over ; 

 the head broad with a beak; no teeth; the 

 fin covering the gills with six rays. 



40. The Atlierina or Atherine. The body 

 oblong; the head of a middling size; the lips 

 indented; the fin covering the gills with six 

 rays ; the line on the sides resembling a silver 

 band. 



41. The Salmo or Salmon 1 (See Plate 



In April. 1828, a holibut, taken near the Isle of Man, 

 was exhibited at the Edinburgh market, measuring seven 



feet six inches in length, three feet six inches in breadth, 

 and weighing 320 Ibs. It was the largest specimen ever 

 seen there. 



1 The Salmon. The Salmon, which was known to 

 the Romans, but not to the Greeks, is a soft-finned ab- 

 dominal fish. It is distinguished from other fish by 

 having two dorsal fins, of which the hindermost is fleshy 

 and without rays : it has teeth both in the jaws and in 

 the tongue ; and the body is covered with round and 

 minutely striated scales. The colour of the back and 

 sides is gray, sometimes spotted with black, and some- 

 times plain ; the covers of the gills are subject to the 

 same variety; and the belly is silvery. The nose i3 

 sharp-pointed : and in the males the under jaw some- 

 times turns up in the form of a hook. Rapid and stony 

 rivers, where the water is free from mud, are the fa- 

 vourite places of most of the salmon tribe, the whole of 

 which is supposed to afford wholesome food for mankind. 

 This fish seems confined in a great measure to the 

 northern seas, being unknown in the Mediterranean, 

 and in the waters of other climates. It lives in fresh, 

 as well as in salt waters, forcing itself in autumn up the 

 rivers, sometimes for hundreds of miles, for the purpose 

 of depositing its spawn. It abandons the seas where it 

 finds an abundant sustenance, ascends the rivers depo- 

 pulated by man, endeavours by every kind of artifice to 

 escape the snares of the fishermen, and all this solely 

 for the purpose of finding a convenient place for deposit- 

 ing its eggs. In these peregrinations it is that salmon 

 are caught in the great numbers that supply our markets 

 and tables. Intent only on the object of their journey, 

 they spring up cataracts and other obstacles of a very 

 great height. This extraordinary power seems to he 

 owing to a sudden jerk that the fish gives to its body 

 from a bent into a straight position. When they are 

 unexpectedly obstructed in their progress, it is said they 

 swim a few paces back, survey the object for some min- 

 utes, motionless, retreat, and return again to the charge ; 

 then, collecting all their force, with one astonishing 

 spring leap over every obstacle. When the *vater is 

 low, or sand-banks intervene, they throw themselves on 

 one side, and in that position soon work themselves over 

 into the deep water beyond. On the river Lifly, in 

 Ireland, there is a cataract above nineteen feet high ; 

 here, in the salmon season, many of the inhabitants 

 amuse themselves in observing the fish leap up the tor- 

 rent. They frequently fall back many times before they 

 surmount it; and baskets, made of twigs, are placed 

 near the edge of the stream to catch them in their 

 fall. 



