216 



ground associated with the Plaice during August. The 

 catch was taken by a shrimp trawl the length of the mouth 

 of which was 25 feet and with a mesh of ^ inch side. It 

 was dragged for one hour over two miles of ground in six 

 fathoms of water. The bottom was a mixture of sand and 

 mud ; the contents of the net were — 



Soles, 257 ; 11 were over 8 inches long, ^ of the catch 



were 2"-d,", the remainder 2". 

 Plaice, 265 ; 6 were over 8", remainder 2"-8". 

 Dabs, 896 ; 2 were over 8", remainder 2" A". 

 Skates, 18 ; 1" broad across pectoral fins. 

 Whiting, 285 : b" long. 

 Shrimps, 20 quarts (a quart contains from 200 to 400 



animals). 



In addition to these about 200 Solenettes were caught, 

 many other fishes [Tracliinus, Ammodytes, Chipea 

 sprathis) and a great number of Crabs. 



On the Blackjjool Closed Grounds in the central part 

 of the Lancashire shores even larger catches of young 

 Plaice have been made. Thus in 4 drags with a shrimp 

 trawl on — 



September 25, 1893, for a drag of 2^ miles, 3,302 plaice were caught. 

 December 28, 1893, ,, ,, 1^ ,, 4,520 ,, 



January 2, 1894, ,, ,, i ,, 2,511 



February 14, 1894, ,, ,, ^ ,, 2,151 



Over 10,000 young Plaice, of 2''-4" mostly, being caught in 

 these four drags alone. 



In the various nurseries the fauna associated with the 

 Plaice varies somewhat, but in all shrimps are always 

 found where young Plaice and other Pleuronectids occur. 



With increasing size the immature Plaice move out 

 from the nurseries into deeper water. This off-shore 

 migration has been studied in an ingenious way by 



