THE DAB. 
195 
saw a plaice with a greater number of orange spots, or having them 
of a brighter colour, than this latter specimen. 
Jan. 20th, 1837. Mr. Savage of Portaferry sent a female flounder to 
the Belfast Museum, thinking it very rare on account of being coloured 
on both sides.* 
It is 9f inches long, of the ordinary greyish and olive-brown entirely 
over on both sides, with round dull orange-brown spots of different size, 
and chiefly near the D. and A. fins. The colouring here described I have 
frequently seen, and I only notice this specimen for what is really singu- 
lar, a malformation of the head just similar to what is represented of the 
Brill in Yarrell’s Fishes, vol. ii. p. 242. It is preserved for the Museum. 
The stomach was filled with soft matter. 
In July, 1833, I saw a man catch some flukes about a foot in length, 
near the mouth of the Bann, in the following manner. He had a wooden 
instrument in the form of two sides of a garden reel with a spike, which 
is stuck in the ground ; to this there are about forty yards of a line with 
hooks attached, and a very heavy sinker, with the aid of which the line is 
flung into the water at full length. The hooks are baited with pieces of 
crabs ( partans ), by which name only they are known to the fishermen. 
The Dab, Platessa Limanda , Cuv., 
Is found around the coast, but does not occur in such numbers as to be a 
commonly-known species. 
Owing I presume to its not being much brought to market, Templeton 
noted it as “ a rare fish in Ireland.” Rutty names it as a Dublin species, 
and it is mentioned in Smith’s Waterford as taken there. Dr. R. Ball 
includes this among the Youghal fishes, and Mr. M‘Calla stated that it is 
pretty frequent on the Galway coast. The dab is seldom seen in Belfast 
market, where — by the very few who know it from the flounder — it is 
much esteemed. To my taste it is a high-flavoured, excellent fish. 
Five specimens about If inch in length were dredged up by Mr. G. 
C. H. and myself at Ballyhome Bay (County Down), on Sept. 3rd, 1834. 
These agreed with Donovan (pi. 44), in figure and description, fin-rays, 
medial line, &c., corresponding. There were however a few black spots 
and markings over the body and fins of all five specimens ; they had all be- 
sides at the base of D. fin about six round white spots at regular distances, 
and about four similar white spots regularly disposed at base of anal fin. 
This species is very commonly taken in the dredge in Belfast and 
Strangford Loughs of small size, under 2 inches; these almost invariably, if 
not always, have exhibited the white spots described. 
The contents of the stomach examined at various periods mainly con- 
sisted of the young of Mytilus edulis ; Solen pellucidus ; Nucula ; Car- 
dium; Pagurus Bernhardus ; and Aphrodita aculeata. 
March 7th, 1837. I got a dab from the mouth of a Ling-fish in Bel- 
fast market. It is 6 inches long, D. and A. fin-rays as in Yarrell ; a spine 
before the A. fin ; colour pretty uniform, yellowish brown, but with a round 
white spot at the lower base of P. fin, and several similar round white 
spots on the body at the base of D. and A. fins. Upper side rough, under 
side smooth, except on lateral line and some way in from D. and A. fins. 
P. fin considerably shorter on under than upper side. 
* [A flounder with both sides of a uniform dark colour was sent from Porta- 
ferry to the Belfast Museum in March, 1853. — Ed.] 
o 2 
