NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 43 



Twelfth haul, 8.30 p.m., June 8th. At 7.45 p.m. we sighted the island 

 of Heligoland and then turned round and steered north. We lost the 

 buoy, the day having been very foggy, and were unable to find it again. 

 A large specimen of the tope, Galcus vulgaris, was caught in this haul ; 

 it was a male and measured 3 ft. 8| in. The fish saved were : — 



5 baskets of small plaice. 

 3 „ medium „ 

 2 , „ kit haddock. 

 1 „ gibbed „ 

 \ „ soles. 



24 turbot and brill, rather small. 

 A quantity of small plaice and dabs thrown over. 

 Thirteenth haul, 2 a.m., June 9th. At 9.30 p.m., at the commence- 

 ment of this haul, the Amrum Light was seen, bearing E. by N., and 

 Heligoland Light, bearing S. by W. I was not on deck when the fish 

 were sorted, but some of the smallest were saved for me ; they were 

 G plaice, 5 in. to 6^ in. in length ; 21 dabs, 2 of them 2^ in. long, the 

 rest 3 1 in. to 6| in. The fish kept for market were : — 



7 baskets small plaice. 

 3 „ medium „ 

 1 „ gibbed haddock. 

 3 „ kit 

 50 pair soles. 

 21 turbot and brill. 

 1 latchet, 1 cod. 

 Fourteenth haul, 8.30 a.m., June 9th. We steered in to the eastward, 

 to see if there were more soles to be got nearer the land and at 8 a.m. 

 sounded 9^ fathoms. At this time there were five steam trawlers in 

 sight, one smack, and six German sailing vessels of small size, of a kind 

 called " snibs " by the Grimsby fishermen. There were 60 turbot and brill 

 altogether this haul. I examined 19 brill and 5 turbot. Of the brill, 

 11 were immature females, the smallest 11^ in., the largest 13^ in. 

 in length. The other 8 were males, the smallest lOf in., the largest 

 17i- in. long, and all mature except one at 11| in., which would probably 

 have become ripe this season. Of the whole 19, 5 were under 12 in. — 

 4 males and 1 female. Of the turbot, 1 at 31f in. was a spent female, 

 1 at 20 1 in. was a mature but not ripe female, 1 at 12| in. was an 

 immature female and 2, 12^ in. and 14 in., were mature males. The 

 rest of the fish kept for market were : — 



2^ baskets medium plaice, 12^ in. to IG in. 



5 „ small plaice, 9| in. to 12^ in. 



1 basket kit haddock. 



I „ gibbed haddock. 



i „ codling and dabs. 



3 large cod. 



30 pair of soles. 



