14 ANACANTHINL 



on these fishes in Ballinskellings Bay in Ireland, which seemed to point out that 

 the annual increment in the sea was about 1 lb. yearly. 



Diseases. — Mr. Cornish has taken turbot cut in the belly by, presumably, one 

 of the weevers (see Trachinus, i, p. 78). When hooked and on the long lines, the 

 my sine or hag will devour the turbot. 



Uses. — A large proportion of our turbot are taken along our east coast, on or 

 near the various sandbanks. But the Dutch are more successful at capturing this 

 fish than our native fishermen, and are estimated to supply one-fourth of the 

 quantity of this fish which is consumed. Their fishing commences about the end 

 of March, a few leagues to the south of Schevelingen. As the warm weather 

 approaches the fishery is gradually advanced to the northwards : and the fishing- 

 terminates about the middle of August. The Dutch were computed to have 

 realized £80,000 yearly by the sale of turbot to the London markets and the Danes 

 £12,000 to £15,000 per annum for lobsters wherewith to form the sauce (see 

 Fisheries, in Introduction). 



As food. — The most highly valued among flat-fishes. In L'Estange's House- 

 hold Book, sixteenth century, the merits of the turbot appear to have been 

 recognized : one is mentioned as purchased for two shillings and fourpence, while 

 ten plaice cost but tenpence (Lubbock). Rutty, in 1772, says it used to be termed 

 in Dublin " the pheasant of the water." Low, in the Orkneys, that it is a much 

 better fish than the halibut. If at all tainted it is liable to occasion nausea and 

 sometimes severe symptoms. This fish is generally boiled for the table, and lemon 

 juice rubbed over it is reputed to preserve its whiteness. 



Habitat. — The coasts of the northern seas of Europe, plentiful in the German 

 Ocean, and extending to the seas of Britain and round the coast of France, and 

 through the Mediterranean to the Adriatic. 



Low observed that during seven years in the Orkneys he had seen but two or 

 three specimens : not rare in Orkney and Zetland (Baikie) : Banff (Edward) : 

 Aberdeen (Sim) : common at St. Andrew's (Mcintosh) : but large ones are rare 

 until the English coast is approached. A considerable fishery exists along 

 Berwickshire, Northumberland and Yorkshire (Yarrell). 



Resident off the coast in moderate abundance (Yorkshire Vertebrata) : rare 

 in the Norfolk estuary (Gurney) : very fine ones are taken at the back of the 

 " Falls " near Margate (Buckland) : in the vicinity of Dover, the Varna and the 

 Ridge sandbanks, the first about seven miles distant and the latter about twelve 

 on the French coast, also afford good fishing ground at certain seasons for these 

 fish. A considerable amount is likewise captured off the Devonshire coast where, 

 however, it is not so common as off Yorkshire : in Cornwall not uncommon, also 

 captured in the Bristol Channel. 



In Ireland it is taken round the coast and is plentiful to the north (Templeton) : 

 at Portrush, common (Ogilby). 



The example figured is fourteen inches in length, from the Yorkshire coast. 

 As to the size it attains in this country, accounts vary, as in some places the 

 halibut is termed a turbot. Thompson mentions one 44§ lb. weight captured in 

 a trammel in four fathoms of water at Springvale, County Down. Buckland took 

 a cast of one which weighed 32 lb. Parnell records on hearsay, one weighing 

 190 lb. and Couch possessed a note of one 70 lb. in weight. 



2. Rhombus lsevis, Plate XCVIL 



Rhombus loevis, Rondel, xi, c. 3, p. 312 ; Gesner, Aquat. iv, p. 663 ; Aldrov. 

 ii, c. 48, pp. 249, 250 ; Schonev. p. 60 ; Jonston, i, c. 3, art. 2, punct. 2, p. 66, 

 t. xxii, f. 13 ; Willugh. p. 96 ; Ray, p. 32. The pearl, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (ed. 

 1776) iii, p. 238 (ed. 1812) iii, p. 321, pi. 50. 



Rhombus alter Gallicus, Belon. de Aquat. p. 141. 



Rhombus non aculeatus, Will. p. 95, t. Fl ; Ray, p. 31. Pleuronectes, sp. 

 Artedi, Syn. p. 31, no. 5, and Genera, p. 18, no. 8. Pleuronectes Icevis, L. Westg. 

 Res. p. 178. Rhombus, no. 3, Klein, Pise. Miss, iv, p. 35 ; Gronov. Zooph. p. 73 ; 

 Barbue, Duham. Peches, iii, sect. 9, c. 1, p. 262, pi. iv. 



