SOLE. 257 



seas of Scandinavia; and southward, along the shores of Spain, 

 Portugal, and the Mediterranean. It was first described by 

 Bellon. 



Soles and of these an enormous quantity are caught 

 almost entirely by trawling ; they seldom take any bait. It 

 is usual to send them to market in baskets, within which the 

 Soles of small size, called Slips, are arranged nearest the 

 wicker-work forming the outside of the basket : the larger 

 Soles, being more valuable, are packed in the middle. 

 Eighty-six thousand bushels of Soles were received at Bil- 

 lingsgate market only within the last twelvemonths. 



The Sole is found full of roe at the latter end of Fe- 

 bruary. They are then for a few weeks soft and watery ; but 

 they soon recover, and throughout a great portion of the 

 year are deservedly in high estimation : the flesh is white, 

 firm, and of excellent flavour ; those from deep water are the 

 finest in quality. 



The principal trawling-ground in England is along the 

 south coast from Sussex to Devonshire : the Sole has also 

 been taken on the shores of various counties in Ireland, viz. 

 Cork, Waterford, Antrim, Londonderry, and Donegal. On 

 the Devonshire coast there are two great fishing stations, 

 Brixham and Torbay ; the boats from which, using large 

 trawling-nets from thirty to thirty-six feet in beam, produce 

 a continual supply. Soles of very large size are occasionally 

 taken. I have a record of one pair taken in Torbay which 

 measured twenty-three inches in length each, and weighed 

 together ten pounds ; but for the particulars of the largest I 

 have heard of, I am indebted to the kindness of the Rev. 

 W. F. Cornish, of Totness. This specimen, a remarkably 

 fine-grown fish, and very thick, was twenty-six inches long, 

 eleven inches and a half wide, and weighed nine pounds. 

 Totness market, June 21st, 1826. 



