358 PEOSE HALIEUTICS. 



deal with by reason of their 'buLld, which is altogether flat, 

 as it were a level. The flounder, I must further teU you, 

 dehghts to dwell among stones ; besides, he is a great ad- 

 mirer of deeps and ruinous decays, yet as fond as any 

 fish of moderate streams ; and none beyond him, except 

 the perch, that is more sohcitous to rifle into ruias, in- 

 somuch that a man would fancy him an antiquary, con- 

 sidering he is so affected with reliques.' In heraldry, 

 sable a fluke argent is the armorial bearings of a family 

 of the name of Fisher ; and the crest of the Butts of 

 Dorking is an arm couped at the elbow and erect, grasp- 

 ing a butt-fish or flounder. These fish, like some pleu- 

 ronects, are often reversed — i. e. have eyes (other floun- 

 ders being the standard) on the wrong side of the head ; 

 specimens also occur presenting other anomalies, show- 

 ing sometimes both sides coloured alike, others both 

 equally colourless. Northern seas furnish another fish 

 belonging to the present subgenus, the platessa limanda, 

 or dab, which has larger eyes than the common flounder, 

 and a rough skin, whence it derives its name, from lima, 

 a file. Dabs, being a cheap and a much better flavoured 

 fish than the flounder, have a great sale in the London 

 and Paris markets, where there are no less than five 

 different species occasionally exposed for sale ; the com- 

 monest of all is the P. limanda, and next P. microce- 

 phala, 'town or lemon dab,' as it is commonly called at 

 the fish-stalls. 



Intermediate between the platessa and rhombus occurs 

 the hippoglossus vulgaris, or holibut, also a northern fish 

 and more remarkable for size than quality ; its dimen- 

 sions are indeed whale-like ; individuals have been cap- 

 tured nearly eight feet in length, four in breadth, and a 

 span thick ; and fresh-cut specimens of half the bulk are 

 sometimes exposed at inferior London fish-stalls. The 

 holibut is held in no esteem by connoisseurs at home ; 

 some, in a disparaging mood, call it ' workhouse turbot ;' 



