140 



The Museum Gazette 



the " Sardine " of our breakfast tables is only the young 

 Pilchard. 



The Anchovy and the Shad are also members of the Herring 

 family, and those who keep a good look out for them may 

 meet with both, though the former is by no means common. 



Young Sprats, by the way, may be distinguished from young 

 Herrings by the fact that the belly of the former has a row 

 of saw-like scales along its whole length, these being wanting 

 in the herring. 



No less than eighteen distinct species of Flat fishes are to 

 be met with along our coasts. For convenience they are 

 divided into four groups : — 



(1) Species with the eyes on the right side, the mouth at 

 the end of the snout, teeth most developed on the blind side : 

 Plaice, Flounder, Dab, " Witch," and Lemon Dab. 



(2) Species with eyes in the right side, mouth large and 

 jaws similar on the two sides : Halibut, Long rough Dab. 



(3) Species with eyes on right side, snout projecting be- 

 yond jaws, front margin of head curved, jaws larger on lower 

 side, teeth only on that side, a " beard " of short projections 

 from skin on lower side of head : Sole, Lemon Sole, Thick- 

 back, Solenette. 



(4) Species with eyes on left side, mouth large, at end of 

 snout, and teeth and jaws equal on both sides : Turbot, Brill, 

 Megrim, Scald-back, Common Top-knot, One-Spot Top-knot, 

 Norwegian Top-knot. 



Of these eighteen species only the solenette, scald fish, and 

 the three top-knots are not used as food. 



During "long-shore" fishing, and in the nets of the 

 " shrimpers " the young of these flat fish are taken in swarms. 

 And those who are noi. uninterested in the problems of the 

 coloration of animals would do well to secure specimens and 

 place them in shallow dishes of clean water containing a 

 liberal supply of shingle and sand. Thus they will be able 

 to see for themselves how marvellously these little creatures 

 resemble their surroundings, and how, with curious undula- 



