THE TURBOT, I43 



they are often under the necessity of tracing fur- 

 rows with a kind of iron sickle, to detect by the 

 touch what they are not otherwise able to distin- 

 guish. Not being rapacious, or furnished with any 

 weapons of defence, these fishes owe their security 

 to this stratagem; while the Thornback and Rays, 

 that are carnivorous and armed with strong spines, 

 although flat-fish of a different class, are marbled 

 with lighter colours, that they may be perceived 

 and avoided by less powerful fish. 



THE TURBOT*. 



The northern parts of the English coast, and 

 some places off the coast of Holland, afford Turbots 

 in greater abundance and in greater excellence than 

 any other parts of the world. Lying here, how- 

 ever, in deep waters, they are seldom to be caught 

 but by lines. 



In fishing for Turbot off the Yorkshire coast, 

 three men go out in each of the boats, each man 

 provided with three lines ; every one of which is 

 furnished with two hundred and eighty hooks, 

 placed exactly six feet two inches asunder. These 

 are coiled on an oblong piece of wicker-work, with 

 the hooks baited and placed very regularly in the 

 centre of the coil. When they are used, the nine 

 are generally fastened together so as to form one 

 line with above two thousand hooks, and extendin"- 



o 



+ Plsuronectes maximus. Linn. 



