59 



THE SOLE. 



The Sole is a well-known excellent fish, whose 

 flesh is firm, delicate, and of a pleasing flavour. 

 They grow to the length of eighteen inches, and 

 even more in some of our seas. They are often 

 found of that size and superiority in Torbay, from 

 whence they are sent to the markets of Exeter 

 and several other towns in Devonshire and the 

 adjacent counties. They are also found in the 

 Mediterranean and several other seas, and, when 

 in season, are in great requisition for the most 

 luxuriant tables. The upper part of the body 

 is brown, the under part white ; one of the pec- 

 toral fins is tipped with black ; the sides are 

 yellow, and the tail rounded at its extremity. 

 It is said that the small soles caught in the 

 northern seas are of a much superior taste to 

 the large ones, which the southern and western 

 coasts afford. 



A musician of fame having travelled, in his 

 harmonical tour, not unlike Dr. Burney, as far 

 as Marseilles, found there this fish so delicate, 

 and so much to his taste, that he died of in- 

 digestion after eating too much of it. His friends 



