282 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



« 



Pleuronecies platessa, Linn. — Plaice. 



The pelagic eggs of this important food fish were 

 observed in the Bay collections as early as February 26th, 

 1914. They appeared to be fairly plentiful at times in 

 the area extending from Bradda Head to Calf Island 

 during the first two weeks of April while the " Intensive 

 Study" investigations were being conducted. One of the 

 hauls taken at Station III was estimated to contain 461 

 plaice eggs. The egg is easily recognised by its large 

 size, corrugated shell, and absence of oil-globule. The 

 following table gives the records of plaice eggs from the 

 Bay plankton and from the open sea : — 



Feb. 

 Mar. 



Apr. 



No. 

 26— Port Erin Bay ... 



7 — Port Erin Bay ... 

 30— Port Erin Bay ... 



2— Station I 



2 — Station III 



of Eggs. 



3 



1 



1 



5 

 15 



2 



41 



58 



461 



3 



Ap 



No. of 

 r. 11 — Off Spanish Head.. 

 , 11— Port Erin Bay ... 

 , 14— Off Spanish Head 



, 15— Station III 



t 16 — Station III 



3 



6 



3 



21 



93 



>> 



2— S. of Calf Island... 

 3 — Station III 



, 17— Off Bradda Head .. 

 , 18— Off Bradda Head .. 



, 20— Station III 



, 20— N. of Calf Island... 

 , 20— S.W. of Calf Island 



2 

 4 



" 



4 — Station I 



1 





4 — Station III 



1 



>> 



8— Off Spanish Head.. 



2 



Pleuronectes limanda, Linn. — Dab. 



The eggs of the dab were only observed three times in 

 the area at the South-West of the Isle of Man in 1914. 

 Four were found in a haul taken at Station III on 

 April 4th, one off Spanish Head on April 8th, and three 

 at Station III on April 17th. They were generally 

 distributed, and at times fairly plentiful, in the central 

 area of the Irish Sea during the whole of April. 



Pleuronectes microcephalus , Donov. — Lemon Sole. 



Pelagic eggs identified as those of the lemon sole do 

 not appear to occur very often in the plankton collected 

 at the South-West of the Isle of Man. None are recorded 

 during the first six years of the "Intensive Study" 



