BUSINESS MEN ON HAKE PEOBLEMS 121 



hake are found off and on throughout the year, the largest 

 catches being landed in May. 



He no longer fishes off Barra Head, but many years ago his 

 ships used to work these grounds, and landed occasional trips 

 of hake in the winter. 



Sj)aw7iin(j Period 



Generally speaking, he regards August as ' the chief spawning 

 month, though on many grounds it may be earlier '. His 

 vessels land roes right up to the end of August, but, except 

 in the case of the Galway fish, none from that time till February 

 or March. 



General Remarks 



* The hake vary in coloration according to the nature of the 

 ground, some being darker than others. We have caught them 

 in depths of 300 fathoms, which is about the extreme Hmit of 

 our operations. The hake appears to be a very shy fish, and 

 a large concourse of modern trawlers soon causes them to move 

 from the ground, possibly because many of them are captured. 

 We rarely catch them at night, which, I think, proves that they 

 come up at night to feed on the surface.' Mr. Neale concludes 

 his letter by repeating his father's cordial invitation to accom- 

 modate any naturahsts who ' would hke a trip on one of our 

 trawlers. We have one or two very good skippers who are 

 Hkely to take a keen interest in scientific research.' 



Both the older and younger schools of hake catchers, then, 

 take a very real interest in the hfe-history of the species on 

 which their hving depends, and would welcome the oppor- 

 tunity of active collaboration in scientific work. Hitherto they 

 have '^ not even been told about such investigations as have 

 been made. 



Postscrij^it 

 Capt. E. Bettess of Fleetwood mentions that hake were 

 caught for the first time 20-22 miles north from the Flannan 

 Islands, i. e. about 70 miles north-east by north from St. Kilda, 

 in 1920. They were at 140-150 fathoms ; and in 1921 they 

 were again on these grounds. But in 1920 and in 1921 hake 

 were jor the first time for 20 years not to be had in paying 

 quantities in the grounds NWJW. from St. Kilda, and along 

 and outside the 100 fathom line in a southerly and westerly 

 direction. The Flannan Island hake are ' the same class of 

 fish ' as those caught to the SSW. off St. Kilda. Do they, as 

 Capt. Bettess conjectures, come from grounds still farther 

 north, which have never been trawled ? 



