THE TRANSPARENT SOLE. 



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sea. Sometimes the Soles venture into the mouths of rivers, passing about four or five 

 miles into the fresh water, and depositing their multitudinous eggs in such localities. 



The colour of the Sole is almost always brown on the right side and white on the left, 

 but examples of reversed Soles are not uncommon, where the left side is brown and the 

 other is white. The scales are small, and give a rough, rasp-like sensation to the hand. 

 The dimensions of this fish are very variable, an average specimen weighing about a pound 

 or eighteen ounces. Much larger examples, however, occur occasionally, and Mr. Yarrell 

 mentions one instance where a Sole measured twenty-six inches in length, eleven and a 

 half inches in width, and weighed nine pounds. 



ZEB11A SOLE. Solea zebnnn. 



The ZEBRA SOLE is a native of Japanese waters, and is remarkable for the waving dark 

 streaks with which its body is covered, and which bear a great resemblance to the stripes 

 upon the zebra's hide. In habits it appears to resemble the common species. 



SEVEEAL species of Sole are found upon the British coast. The LEMON SOLE, or FRENCH 

 SOLE (Solea pegusa), derives the former of these titles from the lemon-yellow colour 

 of its upper surface, and the latter from the localities in which it is most commonly found. 

 It is found generally about sixteen miles off our coasts. The colour of this fish is orange, 

 mixed with light brown, and mottled with little round spots of wood-brown. It is wider 

 in proportion to its length than the common Sole. Another species, the VARIEGATED SOLE 

 (Solea variegata), is sometimes, though rarely, taken off our shores. It may be known by 

 the reddish brown colour, clouded with dark brown. The body is rather thick in proportion 

 to its length. 



The last British species is the SOLENETTE, or LITTLE SOLE (Monochtrus lingudtulus), a 

 small species, seldom more than five inches long, and of a reddish brown colour, without 

 cloudings. 



PERHAPS the most remarkable of these fishes is the TRANSPARENT SOLE (Achirus 

 pellucidus). 



This rare and interesting fish is a native of the Pacific Ocean, and is notable for the 

 extreme pellucidity of its body, which is so marvellously transparent, that when swimming 

 in a vase of water, or lying on the bottom, the algse or stones can be distinctly seen through 



