236 MAKKKTAl'.LE BRITISH MARINE FISHES 



Aug. iQth (Fig. 109). The age of these specimens is difficult to 

 estimate, but it seems quite reasonable to suppose that they had 

 been hatched the same season, and were only three or four 

 months old. The number of fin-rays in them agreed with those 

 of the adult, namely, in one specimen, dorsal 105, ventral 89. 

 On the blind side the characteristic pits in the bones of the head 

 which occur only in this species, were already present. The 

 pigment still showed the three bands across the body, behind 

 the abdomen, which are present in the larva. 



Three specimens considerably larger were trawled during the 

 same survey at 144 fathoms, in July. These were from 12-5 cm. 

 to 15 cm. in length (44 to 5f in.), and must have been in their 

 second year. These specimens, and still more the smaller ones 

 previously mentioned, are somewhat narrower, in proportion to 

 their length, than the full grown fish. 



In the special investigations of the Scotch Fishery Board on 

 the places where immature fish occur, only two immature 

 specimens of the witch were taken. One was 9 inches long, the 

 other 1 1 inches, and they were taken at a depth of 20 fathoms, 

 ten miles from the coast. It will be seen that as far as the 

 scanty evidence goes, the young stages of the life of this fish 

 are passed in deeper water than that affected by the adults. 



The Lemon Dab, or Lemon Sole (Pleuroncctes 

 m icrocepJiahis^} 



Distinguishing Characters. The most obvious peculiarities at 

 first sight are the colour and shape, the former a rich brownish 

 yellow, marbled with round and oval spots of darker or lighter 

 colour, the shape a regular oval. The head and mouth are 

 very small. The fin-rays are dorsal 85-93, ventral 70-76, more 

 numerous than in the plaice, but not so numerous as in the witch. 

 The teeth are conical, rather narrow and blunt. The scales 

 small and smooth, slightly more developed than in the plaice, 

 and extending all over the body and head, and on the fin-rays 

 on the upper side. The lateral line makes a slight curve above 

 the breast fin, but much less than in the common dab. 



Size. It is not a large fish. Dr. Fulton's largest for the cast 

 coast of Scotland was 1 8 inches long. At Plymouth the largest 



