Oblong-oval: lateral line slightly curved above the pectoral: body smooth: head and mouth very small: jaws equal: teeth obtuse.

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P. microcephala, Flem. Brit. An. p. 198. Pleuronectes micro-cephalus, Don. Brit. Fish. vol. ii. pl. 42. Turt. Brit. Faun. p. 96. P. laevis, Id. I.e. P. microstomus, Nilss. Prod. Ichth. Scand. p. 53.? Rhombus lsevis Cornubiensis maculis nigris, (A Kitt,) Jago in Rays Syn. Pise. p. 162. fig. 1. Smear-Dab, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 230. but not pl. 41. no. 106. Id. (Edit. 1812). vol. iii. p. 309. pl. 47. New species of Sole, Edinb. New Phil. Journ. no. 37. July, 1835. p. 209.

Length

From twelve to eighteen inches.

Description

(Form). Oblong-oval; more elongated than any of the preceding species: greatest breadth, dorsal and anal fins excluded, contained twice and three-quarters in the entire length: head very small, not more than one-seventh of the entire length: dorsal curve continuous with the profile, falling regularly to the extremity of the snout: mouth extremely small; lips a little projecting: jaws equal: teeth cutting, set closely together, their summits nearly even, and rather obtuse: eyes moderately large, approximating, situate close behind the mouth, and both equally advanced towards it; between them an osseous ridge, which, however, is not produced behind as in the last species: lateral line commencing higher up than the gill-opening, curved above the pectoral, but afterwards straight; the degree of curvature less than in the Dab, but greater than in the Plaice: both sides of the body smooth: scales small, their free edges scarcely ciliated: dorsal commencing above the eyes, and extending the whole length of the back, and very nearly to the caudal; greatest elevation one-fourth of the breadth of the body: anal commencing in a line with the pectorals, and answering to the dorsal; the spine before it scarcely perceptible: caudal much as in the Plaice: the two pectorals of equal size, and more than half the length of the head: ventrals very small, a little in advance of the pectorals, and about three-quarters of their length; second ray longest: number of fin-rays,

D. 92; A. 69; C. 19; P. 9; V. 5.

{Colours). Above light brown, sometimes mottled with yellow and dusky: beneath white. Pennant says, " belly white, marked with five large dusky spots;" but, according to the editor of the last edition of the " British Zoology," this spotting is not a constant character.

Met with occasionally on the southern and western coasts, but much less plentiful than any of the preceding species. The specimen from which the above description was taken, was obtained at Hastings. Said to be frequent on the coast of Cornwall. According to Hanmer *, it is known at Bath by the name of the Lemon Sole; at Plymouth, by that of the Merry Sole; at Looe, by that of the Kitt; and at Penzance, by that of the Queen, or Queen-Fish. Obs. This species is probably the Pleu-ronectes microstomus of Faber and Nilsson, but this last author has noticed another, the P. Cynoglossus of Linnaeus, which also approaches very nearly to it. Possibly both these species may occur in our own seas. Donovan appears to have considered it as the Vraie Limandelle of Duha-mel, but, according to Cuvier, this last is synonymous with the Platessa Pola next described. I may add that I can see no difference between the present species and the supposed New Species of Sole lately characterized by Mr. Parnell †, of which I have seen a specimen in the possession of Mr. Yarrell.