The sole is yearly becoming scarcer, and consequently 

 dearer, and almost out of the reach of the poor man, and, 

 like the salmon, may be classed as the rich man's food 

 only. To what other cause must we attribute this 

 diminishing of supply ? It has been an old proverb, that 

 there is as much fish in the sea as ever was caught ; but I 

 should hesitate to apply this to the sole. Soles are still 

 caught on the same grounds as before, but in such 

 diminished quantities that they do not pay for the venture, 

 and our boats from the Humber seek fresh fields of enter- 

 prise, and depend on the haddock and plaice, which abound 

 on the Dogger and Fisher Bank, for a payable cargo. 



When the silver pits were first discovered, and became 

 frequented as a fishing-ground the sole was found in the 

 winter months in such enormous quantities, that the name 

 " silver pits " was to the fisherman no unmeaning one so 

 prosperous were those who resorted thither. It was not an 

 uncommon thing for a trawler to get there 40 to 60 pots 

 per night, which would be a ton to one and a half of a ton. 

 The price would be from 6s. to 8s. per pot, or say from los. 

 to i6s. per trunk. I have known them sold for so low as 

 2s. 6d., 35-. 6d., and 4*. per pot. The value now is from 4 

 to 10 per trunk, the price having risen as the take has 

 diminished to its present insignificance. 



Again a new ground was found on the opposite coast, 

 about the island of Heligoland and Sylt. About the year 

 1868 soles were found there in immense quantities ; but the 

 supply is not now anything so great. Off the Texel, and 

 indeed up and down the entire coast, the supply of soles is 

 diminishing. May we not inquire here also what is the 

 cause, and receive the same reply destruction of fry ? If 

 sole has been found in large quantities in the pits in winter, 

 about Heligoland and the Texel in summer, do they not 



