HALIBUT, FLAT-FISH AND FLOUNDER. 311 
The Halibut of the Pacific are apparently similar in dimensions to those 
of New England. Mr. Anderson, inspector of fisheries for British Colum- 
bia, states that they there attain a weight of 200 pounds. 
The wholesale dealers of Gloucester, in buying fresh Halibut from the 
fishermen, recognize two grades; one, which they call ‘‘ Grey Halibut,’’ 
they consider to be of inferior value, and pay a lower price for. The 
Grey Halibut are distinguished by dark cloudings or blotches upon the 
under side, which in the most remarkable fishes are pure white. Almost 
all the largest Halibut are classed among the Greys. Fishermen claim 
that there is no actual difference between the grey and the white fish, and 
it is a fair question whether they are not right. 
They are large-mouthed, sharp-toothed, voracious, although adapted for 
life upon the bottom, and doubtless feed largely upon crabs and mollusks ; 
they are particularly fond of fish of all kinds; these they waylay, lying 
upon the bottom, invisible by reason of their flat bodies, colored to corre- 
spond with the general color of the sand or mud upon which they rest. 
When in pursuit of their prey they are active, and often come quite to the 
surface, especially when in the summer they follow the capelin to the 
shoal water near the land. They feed upon skate, cod, haddock, men- 
haden, mackerel, herring, lobsters, flounders, sculpins, grenadiers, turbot, 
Norway haddock, bank clams, and anything else that is eatable and can 
be found in the same waters. Capt. Ashby tells me that common 
flounders and flat-fish are among their most favorite food; they follow 
them up the shoals of George’s and Nantucket ; they lie in wait for them 
on the sand-rips and catch them as they swim over. He has seen a half 
bushel of flat-fish in the stomach of one; they stow them away very 
tightly. He has often seen Halibut chasing flat-fish over the surface of the 
water. About Cape Sable their favorite food seems to be haddock and 
cusk. He has seen eight or ten pounds of haddock and cod taken out of 
one of them. When they are on the shoals they are sometimes filled with 
flat-fish, haddock, cusk, sculpin and herring, but when in deep water he 
has found very little food in them. They eat crabs and other crustaceans, 
but shells are rarely found in their stomachs, except those of clams and 
mussels. 
Capt. Hurlbert tells me that when the vessels are dressing codfish on the 
Grand Banks, and the back-bones and head are thrown overboard, these 
are frequently found in the stomachs of Halibut taken in the same 
locality. 
