THE FISH OP DORSET. 19 



their light brown colour and rough backs, which are sometimes 

 very faintly spotted with pale yellow spots. The underside has a 

 more transparent look about it than in plaice. They seldom exceed 

 a foot in length. They are far better eating than plaice. I may 

 class them as one of our sporting fishes, as they readily take a bait, 

 the best being lug or rag worms, and form one of the principal 

 items in a day's hooking in Poole Harbour. At Portland, outside 

 the Breakwater, I once took 70 in an hour. They are fried either 

 whole or in fillets. Couch III., p. 185, PI. CLXX. Day IL, 

 p. 31, PI. CIV. 



PLEURONECTES MICROCEPHALUS. 



SMEAR DAB. 



Caught in Studland Bay, B. Wills. Couch III., p. 187, 

 PI. CLXXI. Day IL, p. 28, PI. CII. 



PLEURONECTES FLESUS. 



FLOUNDER. 



This is both a salt and freshwater fish, being found mostly in 

 harbours and the tidal part of rivers, while at times they ascend 

 far into the fresh water. I have seen them as far up the 

 Aberdeenshire Dee as the Commonty Water, some 30 miles from 

 the sea or tide. Few fish vary so much in taste with the ground 

 they frequent. In Poole Harbour, for instance, the lakes and 

 latches in the mud are full of them, but they are so strong of mud 

 as to be quite unfit to eat, whereas if caught outside the sand- 

 banks they are nearly as good as dabs. They are mostly taken 

 with nets, but will often take a ragworm, or even garden worm, 

 in fresh or slightly brackish water. Couch III., p. 195, 

 PI. CLXXV. Day II., p. 33, PI. CV. 



SOLEA VULGARIS. 



SOLE. 



This is the best and most esteemed of all our flat fish. It is 

 mostly caught in trawls, but will now and then take a hook baited 



