of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



183 



But the facts are sufficient to justify the statement in its broad sense, 

 and doubtless the extensive investigations now being carried on will ere 

 long show how far it may be incorrect. It is to be noted that it applies 

 to the fish in a region in which growth is naturally modified ; if plaice, 

 for example, reach maturity in one region at a size less than in another, 

 then the maximum size is also less. It is the same with the males and 

 females among flat-fishes ; the males, as a rule, attain the mature condition 

 at a less size than the females, and their maximum growth is corres- 

 pondingly curtailed. As the maximum size of a species of flat-fish is 

 approached, the proportion of males diminishes and the proportion of 

 females increases ; and all the very large individuals are females. 



I give in the following Table the information such as it exists for a 

 number of species, the sizes being in inches : — 



Species. 



Approximate Size 

 at Maturity. 



Approximate Age 

 at Maturity. 



Approximate 

 Maximum Size. 



Exceptional 

 Records of Size. 



Female. 



Male 



Female. 



Male. 



Fern a 



Male. 



Female. 



Male. 



Plaice, . 



16-17 



13-14 



5 



4 



32 





38J 





Com. Dab, 



n 



6 



3 



2 



15 



13 



17 





Flounder, 



8-9 













18 





Lemon Dab, . 



10 



8 



4(?) 





20 









Witch, . 



11-12 



10-11 



4 



3 



23 





24J 





Halibut, 



48 



30 







84 









Megrim, 



12 



H 







24 









L. R. Dab, . 



%-7 





3 



2 



13-14 



12 



16* 



... 



Turbot, . 



17-18 







... 



32 





(70 



lbs.) 



Brill, . 



15 





6 





26 









Cod, 



26-27 





4-5 





55-58 





68 





Haddock, 



11 



n 



3 



.1 



25 



... 



33 





Whiting, 



8^-9 





2 



2 



18 









Norway Pout, 



4* 





2 





8-8£ 





9| 





Gurnard, 



9 





3 





17-18 









Angler, . 



30 



27 



5(!) 



4(?) 











The approximate maximum size is as far as possible derived either from 

 market measurements or from fish which have been measured on trawlers. 



PLAICE ( Pleuronectes platessa). 



A considerable number of collections of plaice were measured, partly 

 from Aberdeen Bay and the Moray Firth, as well as from the Solway 

 Firth and Lochfyne ; special attention being given to the small forms. 

 The total number of plaice dealt with in this paper, whose measurements 

 are given in the Tables appended is 11,385, making with those described 

 in the previous paper an aggregate of 17,950. 



