GREA T BRITAIN. 229 



English trawling ground lies from Dover to Devonshire. 

 They may be taken by spillers, but are not commonly cap- 

 tured with hooks ; it is suggested that one reason may be 

 that spillers are mostly used by day, whereas the sole is a 

 night feeder. In-shore trawling, shrimping, and fine-meshed 

 netting during the spring months occasion great injury to 

 the young of these fishes, as do also hose-nets set for 

 shrimps. Mr. Welton, of Bridgewater, purchased all the 

 fish taken in two of these nets in one day, and thus obtained 

 1 8 cwt. of the fry of soles, plaice, herrings, whiting, &c. 



Baits. Major Holland advises soft or soldier-crabs, lug- 

 worm, mussel, shrimp and rag-worm, with long-gut snoods, 

 but they feed mostly at night, and the most favourable time 

 is after a blow, when the water is thick, while a land breeze 

 answers better than a sea breeze. 



Breeding. They spawn late in the year and during the 

 spring months. I have obtained them in full roe this year 

 up to April 1 5th. A sole of I Ib. weight carries about 

 1 34,000 eggs (Buckland). 



Hermaphrodites. Have been recorded by Yarrell. 



Life history. The very young swim on edge, as has been 

 already referred to, but they do not appear to be commonly 

 found so far out at sea as some other species. They are 

 first seen along our south coast about the end of March or 

 commencement of April. 



Diseases. Buckland mentions having received a sole in 

 which its entire lower surface was studded with hairs from 

 i to -i- an inch in length. On a microscopic examination 

 being made they turned out to be the hairs of the sea 

 mouse, Aphrodite aculeata. 



Uses. The skin of the sole was much used, according to 

 Parnell, for fining coffee, being found a good substitute for 

 isinglass ; also as a material for artificial baits. 



