THE DAB. 195 



saw a plaice with a f>reater number of orange spots, or having them 

 of a brighter colour, than this latter specimen. 



Jan. 20th, 1837. Mr. Savage of Portaferry sent a female flounder to 

 the Belfast Museum, thinking it very rare on account of being coloured 

 on both sides.* 



It is 9| inches long, of the ordinary greyish and olive-brown entirely 

 over on both sides, Avith round dull orange-broAvn spots of diflerent size, 

 and chiefly near the D. and A. fins. The colouriiir/ here described I have 

 frequently seen, and I only notice this specimen for what is real/i/ singu- 

 lar, a malformation of the head just similar to what is represented of the 

 Ih-iU in Yarrell's Fishes, vol. ii. p. 242. It is preserved for the Museum. 

 The stomach was filled with soft matter. 



In July, 1833, I saw a man catch some flukes about a foot in length, 

 near the mouth of the Bann, in the following manner. He had a wooden 

 instrument in the form of two sides of a garden reel with a spike, which 

 is stuck in the ground ; to this there are about forty yards of a line with 

 hooks attached, and a very heavy sinker, with the aid of Avhich the line is 

 flung into the water at full length. The hooks are baited with pieces of 

 crabs {partans), by Mhich name only they are known to the fishermen. 



The Dab, Platessa Limunda, Cuv., 



Is found around the coast, but does not occur in such numbers as to be a 

 commonly-known species. 



Owing I presume to its not being much brought to market, Templeton 

 noted it as " a rare fish in Ireland." Ilutty names it as a Dublin species, 

 and it is mentioned in Smith's Waterford as taken there. Dr. ll. Ball 

 includes this among the Youghal fishes, and Mr. M'Calla stated that it is 

 pretty frequent on the Galway coast. The dab is seldom seen in Belfast 

 market, where — by the very few who know it from the flounder — it is 

 much esteemed. To my taste it is a high-flavoured, excellent fish. 



Five specimens about 1| inch in length were dredged up by Mr. G. 

 C. H. and myself at Ballyhome Bay (County Down), on Sept. 3rd, 1834. 

 These agreed with Donovan (pi. 44), in figure and description, fin-rays, 

 medial line, &c., corresponding. There were however a few black spots 

 and markings over the body and fins of all five specimens ; they had all be- 

 sides at the base of D. fin about six round white spots at regular distances, 

 and about four similar Avhite spots regularly disposed at base of anal fin. 



This species is very commonly taken in the dredge in Belfast and 

 Strangford Loughs of small size, under 2 inches ; these almost invariably, if 

 not always, have exhibited the white spots described. 



The contents of the stomach examined at various periods mainly con- 

 sisted of the young of Mytilus edulis ; Soloi jiellucidus ; Nucula ; Car- 

 dium; Payurus Bernhardus ; and A^ilirodita aculeata. 



March 7th, 1837. I got a dab from the mouth of a Ling-fish in Bel- 

 fast market. It is 6 inches long, D. and A. fin-rays as in Yarrell ; a spine 

 before the A. fin ; colour pretty uniform, yellowish brown, but with a round 

 white spot at the lower base of P. fin, and several similar round Avhite 

 spots on the body at the base of D. and A. fins. Upper side rough, under 

 side smooth, except on lateral line and some way in from D. and A. fins. 

 P. fin considerably shorter on under than upper side. 



* [A flounder with both sides of a uniform dark colour was sent from Porta- 

 ferry to the Belfast Museum in Marcli, 1853.— Ed.] 



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