212 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



feebly ctenoid on the coloured ; some very fine ones over 

 the fin-rays in adult examples. Lateral-line. With a 

 slightly oblique descent above the pectoral fin, from 

 whence it proceeds direct to the centre of the base of the 

 caudal ; it has a dorsal branch on the occiput. Colours. 

 Right side brown, with a gray tint, being darkest about 

 the head. A small blackish mark on the upper half of 

 the pectoral fin, Vertical fins of a grayish slate colour, 

 the anterior dorsal rays tipped with white. Left side 

 white. 



Varieties. Thompson, when examining large numbers 

 of this species, found in one lot the males, in another the 

 females, almost exclusively prevailed ; also that the form 

 of the body, and the height of the dorsal and anal fins, 

 varied considerably in both sexes. 



Habits. Frequents sandy localities, in some years being 

 much more common than in others. Parnell found small 

 crabs and star-fishes in the stomach of one he examined. 



Means of capture. The beam-trawl. 



Breeding. May and June. 



As food. Is considered good by some, especially the 

 French, who esteem it to be equal to the sole. In Dublin 

 it is looked upon as very inferior, and Thompson remarks 

 upon having had it dressed, when he found it a passably 

 good fish, but not at all flavoured like, nor equal to, the 

 sole. 



Habitat. It extends from the coasts of the North Sea, 

 around Great Britain and Ireland, to the shores of France. 

 It is also found on the North American coast (Goode and 

 Bean). 



Mr. Pearce records an example 19^ inches long, taken in 

 Scalpa Bay, near Kirkwall, in May, 1880, and a day or two 

 after another and smaller one, the only ones ever heard of 



