THE FLAT-FISHES 235 



variation, for, as already mentioned, the sole relies in no small 

 degree on colour protection. The largest recorded sole was 

 26 in. long, but nowadays a sole of 12 in. may be regarded 

 as an average fish. The twisted mouth, the curved jaws, the 

 absence of teeth on the upper side, the small eyes, the oval 

 body are all characteristic of this family. The beard-like 

 arrangement beneath the head there takes the place of scales. 

 The most detailed and useful account of the sole, both 

 biological and economic, ever published in the English 

 language is the treatise, already quoted, by Mr. Cunningham, 

 and published some years ago by the Marine Biological 

 Association. 



The sole is a native of warm and temperate seas, occurring 

 in the Mediterranean, but absent, at any rate in quantity, from 

 the most northern waters of Europe. It occurs throughout 

 the English Channel, where it is wastefully overfished, and 

 Dover soles have long been famous at the eastern extremity, 

 while some of the fish landed by the Brixham trawlers from 

 the south-western grounds are worth a journey to see. Most 

 of the best sole grounds lie comparatively near land, though 

 the spawning takes place some miles away. 



Marine worms form the chief element in the sole's food, 

 though it also devours such small molluscs as are not too hard- 

 shelled for its fine-pointed teeth. Small shrimps and sand- 

 eels have also been found in the stomach of this fish, and 

 sand-stars are in some localities a favourite prey. This is one 

 of the fish that hunt by smell and mostly at night. 



The sole attains maturity at a length of 10 or 11 in., 

 and lays rather more than 100,000 eggs, according to the size 

 of the parent. The spawning-time is, taking into account the 

 returns from various parts of our coasts, some period between 

 February and June. The egg measures rather over -^ in., 

 and is therefore large in comparison with some others, and has 

 a number of very small oil-globules, which eiFectually 

 distinguish it from the rest. The sole has often spawned 



