NOETH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 



37 



After my return from this voyage, I noticed in the market that 

 the catches from the Eastern Grounds often inckided larsje numbers 

 of small brill and turbot, and a considerable quantity of soles. Thus, 

 on May 30th, a vessel which had been fishing 10 miles off the Sylt 

 Light, at about 13 fathoms, lauded about 200 boxes of small plaice, 3 

 boxes of soles, 130 small brill, and 28 small turbot. By small here, I mean 

 brill and turbot about 12 in. in length, very few of these fish exceeding 

 14 in. I bought a 'sample of the brill for examination, not selecting 

 them in any way There were 20 in the sample — 3 males, 17 females. 

 The smallest female was lOf in., the largest 12| in., and all were immature. 

 On examination of the ovarian tissue with the microscope, a few of the 

 eggs, in nearly all the specimens, were found to contain the scattered 

 central globules, which I have mentioned elsewhere, as occurring in 

 immature brill and turbot. The three males were from 10} to Hi in. 

 in length ; the smallest was sexually ripe, the other two nearly, but not 

 quite so. 



On June 1st I bought a box of small plaice, brought from the ground 

 off the Sylt. The price of this was 3s. 9d. It contained 3G0 lish — 

 211 males, 149 females. It is of importance to note that the males 

 were the more numerous, although it is known that the females are 

 more numerous in plaice on the whole. The smallest male was 7f in. 

 long, the largest Hi in. There were 3 males under 8 in., 131 under 

 10 in. The smallest female was 7f in., the largest 13 in. There were 

 4 females under 8 in., 8G under 10 in. The total number in the box 

 under 8 in. was 7 ; the total number under 10 in. 217, or GO per cent. 



I examined the roes of a few of the females microscopically, with the 

 following results : — 



Plaice 7f in. long. Ova all yolkless ; no opaque masses. 



A few opaque masses, or dead yolked eggs. 



No yolk, no opaque masses. 



No yolk, a few distinct granular masses. 



Granular masses distinct. 

 Granular masses distinct, but small. 

 No yolk, no masses. 



13 



On Monday, June 3rd, I examined in the market the fish landed 

 from a steam trawler, which had been fishing about 21 miles off the 



