102 



NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 



Diige informed me, of the marketable fish selected from the whole 

 number brought up by the trawl, the smaller being rejected. This, of 

 course, makes no difference with regard to the minimum size of mature 

 specimens; all those rejected less than 10 in. in length must have been 

 immature. The smaller fish, which were thrown overboard, however, 

 when the sample was taken, were stated to be very few in number, 

 although Herr Diige tells me that it sometimes happens, even in winter, 

 that, in the same locality, plaice mostly from 9 to 12 in. in length 

 are taken. 



I was desirous of obtaining a sample sent, without selection, just as 

 they came on deck, and Herr Diige was good enough to send me a 

 second consignment. These fish were trawled on December 20th, in 

 54° 35' north latitude, 7° 40' east longitude, at a depth of 11 fathoms. 

 This position is about 24 miles from the Amrum Light, and in the very 

 same neighbourhood in which the steam trawler, John Bull, was fishing, 

 in June, when I was on board her. The sizes and conditions of these 

 fish are shewn below : — 



Plaice from Geestemijnde, December 20rH, 1895. 

 Total number, 121. 



6 29 3 83 



(4"9 per cent.) (24 per cent.) (2-5 per cent.) (68-6 per cent.) 



121 



It will be seen that these unselected plaice were, on the whole, not 

 smaller, but somewhat larger than those in the previous sample from 

 German waters, and with the quite insignificant exception of the 

 one specimen at 9 inches, did not include any smaller specimens. 

 With regard to immaturity, the second sample agrees with the 

 first, no less than 92'6 per cent, of the whole number being 

 immature. In both samples the proportion of mature female 

 specimens below 18 inches is even distinctly lower than in Mr. 

 Holt's records taken at Grimsby. 



