INTRODUCTION 233 



trawling ventures from the great ports of Montevideo and Buenos Aires. These all worked very much 

 farther to the northward and close in to the land ; it is safe to say that no considerable haul of the 

 species had been taken south of lat. 42° S before. On this autumnal survey the hake were distributed 

 over the shelf to the north of a line from Cape San Sebastian to the northernmost of the Falkland 

 Islands (Figs, i a, 2). The largest catches were obtained north-west of the Falkland Islands, but there 

 was little evidence of any special concentration there. A moderately rich haul was obtained so far 

 away as St. WS90 near Magellan Straits. Females were commoner than males, males were com- 

 monest in the shallower water along with the smaller females, and the catches with the largest females 



were almost devoid of males. 



Notothenia spp. were the most widely distributed and most numerous fishes, but were obviously 

 less important than hake owing to their small size. A very heavy catch of Notothenia was obtained at 

 one station north-west of the Falkland Islands, and another on the Burdwood Bank. 



Macruronus magellanicus was most frequent at hauls made in the centre of the plain of the shelf. 

 Its excellent edible qualities and freedom from superfluity of small bones were gratefully recorded. 

 Stromateus macidatus was commonest near the mainland, but was also found at two ofltshore stations 

 towards the end of the survey. The flesh of this species was described as resemblmg that of the 

 herring, but not quite so good. It was remarked of both these species that though not very abundant 

 they occurred along with hake and might serve to supplement catches of the latter. 



John's observations on the food of fishes showed that squids, Clupea spp., Thysanopsetta naresi, 

 hyperid amphipods and small Euphausiidae formed the bulk of the hake food. Each predommated m 

 different hauls to the exclusion of some or all of the others. The fact that hake snatch up food while 

 in the trawl was noted. This habit is also common among European hake, a point that became well 

 known with the publication of Hickling's work later. The stomach contents of small numbers of other 

 less important species of fish were recorded, and John also collected large numbers of fish parasites. 



Invertebrates formed the bulk of the nine catches made within 20 miles of the Falkland Islands in 

 depths of 80-130 m., where fish were scarce. Sponges, actinians, Alcyonaria, coralline Polyzoa, spider 

 crabs echinoderms and ascidians were extraordinarily abundant. These invertebrate hauls were 

 heaviest to the south-east, south and west of the Falkland Islands. Smaller invertebrates reached their 

 greatest abundance where coralline Polyzoa or Alcyonaria predominated. This ground was too rough for 

 profitable trawling, owing chiefly to the corallines, large catches of 'rubbish and few fish^ This dis- 

 appointing negative result must be regarded as the second important point proved during the first survey. 

 Invertebrates were somewhat less numerous between the Falkland Islands and the mainland, but 

 some very heavy catches were obtained. In general the bulk of invertebrates decreased to the west- 

 ward and was least near the Argentine coast. Of nektonic forms squids were taken at nineteen out 

 of twenty-nine stations, sometimes in considerable numbers. They form an important part of the 

 diet of the larger fishes, birds and seals, of the area. Large Scyphomedusae were taken at seventeen 

 stations, and sometimes completely smothered the rest of the catch. .^, ^ ^. 



A broad tentative correlation between the nature of the bottom and possible fishing prospects was 

 ventured upon at the close of the survey, and may be summarized as follows. On the shelf and to 

 the north of the Falkland Islands a dark greenish brown sand predominated on fairly clean ground. 

 This was the best ground for hake also and is therefore by far the most P^^^ WSsV a"mt 

 east south and west of the Falkland Islands, on the Burdwood Bank and at St. WS 88, a similar 

 sand mixed with a high proportion of shell fragments occurred. This was associated with a rich 

 nvertebrate fauna and few fish, except perhaps Notothenia spp. The Burdwood Bank presents very 

 poor prospects owing to foul ground and prevalent gales with a steep breaking sea. Subsequent work 

 substantiates these pronouncements in greater detail. 



