386 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
in 1825, is now in abundance in limited tracts, while wanderers 
occasionally are taken around our coasts. It is remarkable that 
it may be banded or plain, and it has been suggested that this is 
due to having been in a dark locality. Space will not permit me 
at present to enter upon these questions, but I wish to draw 
attention to the specimens, as I trust others will examine them, 
and perhaps furnish your readers with their opinions on the 
changes of colour that take place, and the mode in which this is 
effected. 
With regard to the Turbot, Mr. Jackson in ‘Land and 
Water’ for June 27th, has furnished some interesting remarks | 
respecting the rapidity of growth in this species while resident 
in the tanks of the Southport Aquarium. Such observations 
demonstrate what may occur under certain conditions, but hardly 
militate against a different result under other circumstances. 
The size of a fish may increase in some situations at a more 
rapid rate than in others, and the dissimilarity in the growth 
of Turbots kept in the Southport Aquarium and of those in 
Ballinskelligs Bay, in Ireland, may be an instance in point. 
That the conditions of fish-life in an aquarium are unnatural 
all must admit; the temperature of the water is not subject to 
such variations as occur in the open air, and this may be more 
conducive to the rapid growth of some forms than were they 
committed to the sea. Irrespective of this, food in the former 
situation is invariably plentiful while the proximity of dangerous 
foes is kept down toa minimum. It is stated that these captive 
fishes did not spawn, leading likewise to the supposition that 
their surroundings were not conducive to the natural continuation ° 
of the species. Some little Turbot, measuring about three inches 
across, were obtained from shrimpers, and placed in the South- 
port Aquarium. In two and a half years’ time they attained to 
ten pounds each in weight; after two years more they further 
augmented to twenty pounds, or a yearly average increment of 
about four and a half pounds a fish. 
If we turn to Lord Ducie’s interesting investigations in 
Ballinskelligs Bay we perceive another result, as perhaps might 
be anticipated, due to all the surroundings being so different from 
what exist in the Southport Aquarium. Fishing annually in the 
same locality, Lord Ducie found that the yearly augmentation 
in the size of young Turbot appeared to have averaged one 
