THE FLOUNDER 



[P/eiironcctes fie s us) 



The freshwater flounder or fluke inhabits all the rivers in Great 

 Britain except those that have barriers or those into which it has 

 not been introduced. The usual barriers which prevent their ascent 

 are waterfalls, weirs, and strong currents. The shape of the flounder 

 makes it ill-adapted for surmounting obstacles. The moment they 

 rise from the bottom of the stream the rushing water takes hold of 

 them, and they are washed down. I have never seen flounders in 

 rivers that have weirs with a gradient of one in twelve. The greatest 

 number are found in estuaries of rivers and in lochs. The flounder 

 is not at all particular as to what it eats, and can be caught with 

 almost any bait. In fresh water they are usually caught with worm. 

 Salmon net-fishers catch them all day long, the greatest number in 

 the rising tide. The eyes are very large and are placed on the right 

 side. The belly also is on the right side, which is peculiar. 



Once when catching flounders in the river Tay a wag asked me 

 if those I had were Tay flounders or Earn flounders. After looking 

 at them he said they were all Tay flounders, because their eyes were 

 all on the right side ; therefore, on ascending from the sea, they could 

 not see the Earn, as the latter joined the Tay on their left. The 

 eyes placed in this position enable the fish to see all round it, even 

 when flat on the ground. The eyes enable it, also, to change its 

 colour according to the nature of the soil it is resting on. This 

 changing of colour goes on continually from dark to light, and 

 from light to dark, all "in the twinkling of an eye." When the fish 



