FLUKE, PLAICE, TURBOT, ETC. 317 



Rusty Dab Platessa Ferruginea, which comes very near to 

 that known as the fluke. 



" Characteristics With numerous minute rusty spots over 

 the body ; Dextral. A series of four white distinct rounded 

 spots along the dorsal and abdominal outline : length twelve to 

 twenty inches." 



" Color. Head and body greenish, with numerous irregular, 

 crowded, chocolate or rust-colored spots, giving a rusty hue to 

 the animal. These spots appear to be confined to the body 

 alone, not extending over the fins. A series of four or five dis- 

 tant obscure rounded spots appear along the dorsal, and a simi- 

 lar series along the abdominal outline. When held up to the 

 light, these spots are deep black, and the whole body pellucid. 

 Beneath, white, except the lower margins." 



The angler will often, when fishing in deep water for basse, 

 be favored instead with a bite from one of these, which will 

 weigh three or four pounds. When fishing with a rod, if you 

 chance to hook a Dab, you should, after reeling him well up 

 (if he be of good size), take hold of your line and lift him into 

 your boat, otherwise he may give a flap of his broad white belly 

 and break the top of your rod, as often happens to the inexpe- 

 rienced. Very often in reeling in or drawing up the line, you 

 will hook one of these fellows in the belly or near the tail. In this 

 case, having the advantage, he will give you some play, and cause 

 you to mistake him for something of more grit. Should you get 

 on ground where you can catch nothing else, take off your light 

 basse tackle and put on good sized black fish hooks, on twisted 

 gut. 



Another description called the Turbot, Pleuronectes Ma- 

 culatus, from twelve to eighteen inches in length, is rather rare. 



It is called also the Spotted or Watery Turbot, and on the 

 coast of Massachusetts, says Dr. Dekay, it is called the English 

 Turbot, from which, however, it is readily distinguished by the 



