THfc FLOUNDER. 



Time of spawning When in season. 



THE FLOUNDER. 



THE color of the upper part of the body of 

 this fish is a pale brown, sometimes marked with 

 a few spots of dirty yellow; the belly is white. 

 It may be easily distinguished from the plaise, or 

 any other fish of this genus, by a row of sharp 

 small spines that surround its upper sides, and 

 are placed just at the juncture of the fins with 

 the body : another row marks the side line, and 

 runs half down the back. 



Mr. Pennant mentions his hearing of a floun- 

 der that weighed six pounds, but one half that 

 size is not common. 



These fish spawn in May and June, and are 

 in season the rest of the year. They swim in 

 shoals, and bite freely at alt hours in the day, 

 but particularly on the rise of the waters by flood 

 or tide, and in warm weather, with a little wind, 

 and are to be fished for with a strong line and 

 good girt at the bottom, as some of them are 

 large and struggle much. The best places to 

 angle for them are by the sides and at the tails 

 of steep streams, where the bottom consists of 

 fine gravel sand or loam, or in still places of the 

 same quality near the banks; two or three rods 

 may be used with a bullet on the lines, to lie on 

 the ground in the streams ; and when in still 

 water, a shot or two on the line, and the hook 

 small. Brandlings that are taken from rotten tan, 

 well scoured, are the best baits : they will taki^ 

 VOL. v. NO. 35. 2 F 



