204 
VARIEGATED SOLE. 
in advance, close to the corner of the mouth. Lateral line 
straight, passing to the border of the tail. The dorsal fin 
begins near the upper jaw, and above the eyes is narrow; 
but afterwards it passes on in nearly equal breadth, and with 
the anal ends shorter of the tail than in the Common Sole; 
caudal fin moue or less round; pectoral fins small, and on the 
under side especially so; vcntrals also small, about midway 
between the throat and anal fin. The colour is reddish brown, 
and in the larger examples generally with few or no spots on 
the body; but there are several distant black patches on the 
dorsal and anal fins. In smaller individuals the dark mottlings 
pass across the body as well as over the fins. 
