Holt — Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 427 



FLOUNDER— P^eMro«ec^es/esMs. 



Not having examined a sufficient number of small fish, I have no evidence to offer 

 ■natli regard to this species. Fulton fixes the limit at 7 inches. M'Intosh and Prince, 

 in their Edinburgh memoirs, speak of having got ripe eggs from females not more than 

 4^ inches long, and at the reeent Conference Professor M'Intosh spoke of having got 

 ripe males at about the same size. 



SKATES AND RAYS. 



My observations, as far as they go, show infinite individual variety, but no marked 

 difference between the sizes of the sexes in relation to maturity. 



GEEY SKATE— i2ai« batis. 



Some males and females were half ripe at 29 to 30 inches ; a female was nearly 

 ripe at 26 inches, and one was ripe at 36 inches ; but I think the majority do not 

 come to maturity until a much larger size is reached. 



SHAGEEEN RAY— Baia fuUonica. 



A male at 30 inches and a female at 40 inches were immature. A female of 38 

 inches was spent. Two females were half ripe and three quarters ripe at 41 and 44 

 inches, and a male of 35 inches was ripe. There seems, therefore, to be variation, as 

 in other species, in the size at which this fish becomes matiu'e. 



THORNBACK— ^aia clavata. 



A Thomback may be mature, or nearly so, at 19 inches, but many at a much larger 

 size are still quite immature. Besides the smaller forms, males from 19 to 29 inches, 

 and females from 19 to 36 inches were still immature. Varieties probably exist in 

 this species. 



SPOTTED B.AY—Eaia maculata. 



The question is here complicated by the existence of two varieties, which come to 

 maturity at very different sizes. The smaller and darker variety is mature at about 24 

 inches, whilst the larger pale variety is immature up to about 40 inches, males and 

 females alike. 



OWL EAY — Haia microcellata. 



The smallest ripe female obseiwed was 32 inches ; the species is probably mature at 

 a smaller size, 



SANDY EAY — Raia eircularis. 

 Two males were mature at 26| inches. Two females were half ripe at 44 inches. 



