52 CATECHISM OF 



cinereous * on the back, the abdomen silvery. Vast 

 numbers of this species are taken on our coasts in 

 the spring, the greatest part of which are salted and 

 barrelled for exportation and home consumption. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Of Soft Finned Thoracic Fish. 



Q. WHAT are the principal genera of Soft 

 Finned Thoracic Fish ? 



A. The principal genera of this order are 

 1. Pleuronectes ; 2. Echeneis. 



Q. Does the genus Pleuronectes contain many 

 species ? 



A. The genus Pleuronectes, the generic charac- 

 ters of which are, eyes both on the same side of 

 the head, body compressed like the Ray kind, con- 

 tains seventeen species, of which we shall notice 

 1 . PleuronectesHippoglossus ; 2. Pleuronectes Pla- 

 tessa; 3. Pleuronectes Limanda; 4. Pleuronectes 

 Flesus; 5. Pleuronectes Solea ; 6. Pleuronectes 

 Tuberculatus. 



Q. Describe Pleuronectes Hippoglossus. 



A. Pleuronectes Hippoglossus, the Holibut, is 

 an exceedingly large species, having sometimes 

 been found of the weight of three and even four 

 hundred pounds. It is a very voracious animal, 

 feeding on small fish, crabs, and shell fish. It is not 



* Ash coloured. 



