THE SOLE. I45 



fresh herring cut into proper-sized pieces : they are 

 also partial to the smaller lampreys, pieces of had- 

 dock, sand-worms, muscles, and limpets j and when 

 none of these are to be had, the fishermen use bul- 

 lock's liver. The hooks are two inches and a half 

 long in the shank, and near an inch wide betwixt 

 the shank and the point. They are fastened to the 

 lines upon sneads of twisted horse-hair, twenty- 

 seven inches in length. The line is made of small 

 cording, and is always tanned before it is used*. — 

 The Turbots are so extremely delicate in their 

 choice of baits as not to touch a piece of herring 

 or haddock that has been twelve hours out of the 

 sea. 



The greatest weight of these fish is about thirty 

 pounds. 



In many parts of this country Turbot and Holibut 

 are sold indiscriminately for each other. They are, 

 however, perfectly distinct, the upper parts of the 

 former being marked with large, unequal, and ob- 

 tuse tubercles : while those of the other are quite 

 smooth, and covered with oblong soft scales that 

 adhere firmly to the bodyf. 



the soleJ. 



In the economy of the Soles we have one circum- 

 stance that is very remarkable : among various other 



* For the tanning of nets and lines see the ensuing account of the 

 Herring. 



f Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 133. { Pleuronectes Solea. Unit. 



VOL. III. \_ 



