THE FLOUNDER FAMILY. 395 



delicacy of constitution. If suitable arrangements were there- 

 fore made, the hatching and rearing of this species to the post- 

 larval and subsequent stages may reasonably be anticipated. 

 But, besides the artificial hatching of the eggs, further experi- 

 ments like that performed by one of us in 1893 with the aid 

 of the Fishery Board, should be made in transferring adolescent 

 soles from English to Scotch waters. In the case mentioned 

 no difficulty was experienced in transporting about 500 soles 

 from Scarborough and the Humber to St Andrews Bay. 



The Variegated Sole or Thickback. 

 (Solea variegata, Donov.) 



A deep-water form seldom beyond 8^ inches in length, and 

 only occasionally met with in the west and north of Britain. 

 The spawning occurs in April and May, and as in many species 

 the females are somewhat larger and more numerous than 

 the males. Mr Cunningham states the larva when first hatched 

 resembles that of the sole, but the pigment is lighter. It is 

 2-42 mm. in length (not quite -^ inch), and thus considerably 

 smaller than the larval sole. "The youngest fully developed 

 specimen was 1"8 in. long, taken in July, two miles south of the 

 Eddystone. This specimen was possibly only three months old, 

 but more probably a year." 



Cunningham^ obtained oif the Eddystone an egg which 

 he provisionally identified with that of this species. It 

 measured l"36mm., and was characterised by numerous rather 

 large oil-globules scattered singly at nearly equal distances over 

 the surface of the yolk (Plate IV, fig. 12). It also had a super- 

 ficial layer of yolk-segments. The egg thus approaches that of 

 the little sole, but is considerably larger. 



The Little Sole or Solenette. {Solea lutea, Risso.) 



The small pelagic eggs of this species were first clearly 

 recognised by Mr Holt when surveying, under Mr Green and 

 Prof Haddon, the fishing grounds of the west coast of Ireland 

 1 Jourii. M. Biol. Assoc. 1889—90, p. 23, f. 15. Hid. 1891—92, p. 104. 



