FOOD PRODUCTS OF THE SEA — FISHES. 277 



When turbots are scarce, hotelkeepers frequently serve 

 up brills {Rhombus vulgaris) as turbots. Many persons 

 prefer them to turbot if taken before spawning. The 

 briU is distinguished from the turbot not only by size 

 and quality but by the perfect smoothness of its skin, 

 which is covered with scales of a moderate size. These 

 fish have been caught of very large size in the North 

 Sea, near the Silver Pits ; sixteen pounds is about the 

 largest seen at the Yarmouth fish market. 



The best are caught by the Dutch off" their coasts. 

 The American turbot is Platessa ohlonga, Dekay, which 

 is fully equal to the English turbot. The fish known as 

 turbot in Newfoundland is Reinhardtius hippoglossoides. 

 In Scotland the halibut is called a turbot. 



Of the smaller flat fish the fiounder (Pleuronectes 

 flexus) is perhaps the best for the table. In North 

 America the common flounder is Pseudo-rhombus dentatus 

 [Lin.] Gunther ; the southern flounder C. ohlonga, the 

 smooth flounder Pleuronectes glaber, and the sand 

 flounder Lophopsetta maculata. On the west coast of 

 England these flat fish are generally called "fiukes," 

 the white fluke is the flounder, the gar fluke the dab 

 {Platessa limandd), and the plain fluke the plaice. 

 Plaice {Pleuronectes platessa) at certain periods fetch 

 high prices; as much as 7s. 6d. each has been paid. 

 The plaice is a favourite flsh with the Jews, being 

 a food which they are permitted to eat at all their 

 feasts and fasts. Eaten cold, dressed as the Jews cook 

 this fish, it is a most delicious article of food, and they 

 "usually lay in a stock sufiicient for several days' con- 

 sumption. 



The plaice may be considered the poor man's fish; 

 it is nevertheless highly nutritious, and affords good, 

 wholesome and cheap food. They are in season from 

 May to December, but are finest at the end of May 

 although sold all the year round. To ensure firmness in 

 this fish it should be powdered with salt and hung up 

 for a day. Enormous quantities of plaice are sold all 

 over the country. Mr. Mayhew reports that there wer^ 



