of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



193 



September, and the measurements, in "50111. groups, are given in Table 

 XII. (p. 256). The fish are caught on rough ground off the 

 Cumberland coast, in about 4 fathoms of water, and are rather localised 

 iu their distribution. 



In dealing with them the sexes were first carefully determined, 

 microscopical examination being resorted to when necessary ; the propor- 

 tions of the sexes in these collections were thus made precise and certain. 

 Most of the series were also weighed and the condition of the reproductive 

 organs made clear, and some remarks on this head may be of interest. 

 In the collection in September it is noted that the females had small 

 ovaries, weighing less than one gramme, and usually only a fifth or a 

 tenth of a gramme. The eggs were small and unyolked, the largest 

 measuring up to "106 and -134mm. In May the great majority had 

 also small unyolked eggs, but some of them had large eggs and 

 would have spawned in the ensuing &ummer. This was the case 

 with one measuring 201mm., in which the eggs measured *72mm., and 

 also in others from 164mm. to 188mm., where the eggs were of the same 

 size. In one of 188mm., weighing 75 grammes, the roe weighed 5*9 

 grammes and the eggs were -73mm. in diameter. Another of 182mm. 

 long weighed 66 grammes, the roe weighing 4*0 grammes, and the 

 eggs were of the same diameter as those mentioned. I previously 

 recorded instances of still smaller lemon dabs being quite mature.* 



These lemon dabs from the Solway Firth varied in length from 5 5cm. 

 to 20cm., the smallest obtained was 57mm. (2| inches) taken in April, 

 and the largest was 202mm. (8 inches). The smallest were got in April 

 (22nd), and the Table shows that in all probability a group terminates 

 about 10cm. No males were got between 98mm. and 114mm., and no 

 females between 89mm. and 111mm. Two females were taken at 57mm. 

 and 59mm., the next being 80mm. ; while the smallest male was 71mm. 

 There is thus a suggestion that the two females represent the larger 

 specimens of a younger group. 



In the May collections three groups appear to be represented, when 

 curves are drawn of the measurements; the first and third are only partly 

 present, the bulk of the collection consisting of fish from 10cm. to 16cm. 

 and aggregated around 13cm. and 14cm. (5| inches). The figures for 

 the totals for the 6th and 15th May, grouped into centimetres are as 

 follows : — 



8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 

 2 7 3 13 16 21 23 12 8 20 9 2 2 



The measurements of the separate collections similarly arranged are : — 



Cm. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 

 April 22, .11 2 73133333312--- 

 May 6, . - - - 1 3 1 8 11 15 19 12 8 It 11 4 2 - 

 „ 15, .----9 134653351--- 



„ 2i, . - - - i 2 - i l - i I l 4 - - - - 



Obviously none of the specimens belong to the year ; the smallest must 

 be approaching one year of age, or are over it. 



In the collections made in September the extreme range of the sizes is 

 very much the same, and the curve of the total shows that a division 



* Twenty-first Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, Part III., p. 48. 

 N 



