WEST COAST FISHERIES. 137 



seasons. But so far as the evidence of last season went, from 

 the quantity of developing ova afloat in the water, of a wide 

 variety of fishes, there must be a very great number of fish pro- 

 curable off this coast. Even when the cod-boats were each 

 capturing 100 large spawning cod, the upper waters were show- 

 ing as plentiful a supply of the ova of other smaller fishes. 



Quite in keeping with the wealth of Entomostraca in the 

 upper waters, was the remarkable supply of Amphipoda in the 

 deeper waters, as a food supply for ground fish. The best mode 

 of taking these is by sinking a fine net with a bait, such as a 

 fish head, and when drawn to the surface after a time, this is 

 sure to be well devoured by a colony of these active crustaceans. 

 The shore species are equally numerous and of large size ; the 

 hermit crabs frequent almost every stone on the shore, and 

 penetrate to the deep waters, where common shore species 

 intermingle with the rarer deep-water species. The annelids 

 on this coast at all depths are as rich in development as they 

 are plentiful, so that everywhere fish food is abundant. At the 

 same time, oysters will not thrive in Lochbuie, nor are the 

 mussels of that loch comparable to those of the neighbouring 

 Loch Spelvie. 



From a review of the results of our examination, we may 

 conclude that there are here the elements of an important 

 industry, so soon as the fish trade of the country assumes a 

 normally healthy condition. This it shows no sign of doing at 

 present, and consequently the people are not encouraged to 

 make efforts which they are at all times slow to attempt. The 

 skates, taken by the hundredweight off the mouth of Lochbuie, 

 were mostly thrown overboard, as they would not give them 

 room in the boats when fishing for cod ; but if there had been 

 any market at all for these wholesome fish, it would pay to 

 make an effort to get them to it. The congers are also well 

 represented around this rocky coast, and their young were 

 numerous in the spring at the mouths of the freshwater 

 streams, and up between tide marks, very distinct in brilliance 

 from the dull-coloured freshwater eel. 



It is to some extent here, as elsewhere, a question of facilities 

 of communication. There is as yet no telegraphic communica- 

 tion between Lochbuie and commercial centres. The steamer 

 that is comparatively convenient in the summer time is off 

 except during the tourist season, so that the despatch of fish to 

 market is a tedious or a costly operation — or both. As to the 

 abundance of fish in the waters alongside, if the fishing were 

 properly prosecuted there can be no reasonable doubt during 

 most seasons of the year. 



From Mull to Barra there is a great leap in distance, but 

 there is, practically speaking, no proper resting-place between, 



