of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



247 



Another specimen 15 mm. long was captured in St Andrews Bay in 

 the bottom tow-net on 1 1th J uly 1893. The eye is fully further over than 

 in the Plymouth specimen of the turbot formerly referred to (10th 

 Report), with which it agrees in regard to the spines on the pre- and sub- 

 operculum, and, moreover, a few minute ones occur along the mandible. 

 The head, however, seems to be proportionally large. The dorsal fin 

 has seven touches of dark pigment, and the anal four distinct touches and 

 a small patch opposite the seventh dorsal. The fin-rays seem to agree 

 more closely with the brill than the turbot. Moreover, the fins do not 

 show the general dusting of pigment characteristic of the Plymouth 

 example, and therefore the fish rather corresponds with Raffaele's drawings 

 of the brill. The spines on the pre- and sub-operculum of the Plymouth 

 example (turbot) are also larger. 



So far as can be observed, both of the foregoing closely resemble young 

 brill, and therefore diverge from the species with the otocystic spines 

 mentioned last year ; and figures of Irish examples of which, with 

 descriptions — in proof — I have had the privilege of examining, through 

 the courtesy of Mr Holt. The latter author is still inclined to link them 

 on to the brill, but their absence from St Andrews Bay and neighbour- 

 hood, and the presence of one or two older forms from such areas as the 

 Moray Firth, together with the fact that specimens of the above-men- 

 tioned kinds are more abundant, and agree more closely with the condi- 

 tion in the brill, incline me to the opinion already expressed. 



Having received from Mr Holt a series of small deeply-pigmented 

 post-larval • turbot,' further facts have been elicited. The smallest is a 

 little over 6 mm. (6*3), and the others approach the example figured 

 last year (PI. XIV. fig. 9), and captured on the 11th July 1890. The 

 body has, however, considerably increased in depth, and the increase in 

 the finely branched black chromatophores gives the body a dusky appear- 

 ance. The opisthure is well marked, the true caudal rays beneath 

 are developing, and minute spines occur on the pre- and sub-operculum. 

 The pectorals are large, but no ventrals are visible. A stage very little 

 older (larger) shows the same soft spines over the eyes, and generally on 

 the cheeks (opercular region). The eyes are strictly lateral in position. 

 At 8 mm. the eye shows no change, and the spines are similar. The 

 opisthure is coalescing with the upper edge of the caudal. The black* 

 pigment gives the body a tesselated appearance. The longest is 9 mm., 

 with the caudal well formed, and the opisthure amalgamated. The 

 spines on the cheeks and on the eyes are well marked. True rays have 

 appeared in both dorsal and anal fins. 



On comparing the foregoing with the form represented in PI. XII. fig. 6, 

 and which is 10 mm. long, with Mr Holt's largest example at 9 mm., it 

 is found that the difference in regard to the degree of development 

 is great, the opisthure in the little English example being amalga- 

 mated wit! i the caudal, whereas in the larger Scotch specimen it is still 

 more or less separate. The fin-rays, moreover, are greatly in advance of 

 the smaller specimen in all the fins. The question, however, arises as to 

 whether the specimen figured is normal. 



The stage of the Rhombus, represented in PI. XII. fig. 6, differs very 

 considerably from any figured by Rafiaele,* from the somewhat indistinct 

 representation by Mobius and Heincke, and from the figure given by Cun- 

 ningham in his work on the Sole (a similar stage to that figured by Mr 

 Masterman). It also is in contrast with all the young stages alluded to 

 in previous descriptions, as summarised in last year's remarks on the 

 group, and shows that those procured S.E. of the Isle of May in the 

 ' Garland ' (22 fathoms ground, where the Isle of May bears N.W. by 8 

 * Op. cit., tav. 4, figs. 8, 11, and 15. 



