NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 109 



sea-urchins {Echinus miliaris). Of the fish, a basketful of small 

 haddock, whiting, and dabs, and a few small gurnard, were thrown 

 overboard ; the small haddock measured 6f to 8^ in., there being only 



2 or 3 of marketable size. The smallest dab was 5 in., a male, the 

 largest 14i in., a female. The smallest plaice was 7i in., a female, 

 the largest 20 i in., but only 2 were small enough to be thrown over- 

 board. The marketable fish were: — 1 basket plaice, \ basket dabs, 6 

 rays, and 4 lemon soles. 



Fourth haul, in the Sole Pit which lies to the N.W. of the Coal 

 Pit, and has a maximum depth of 43 fathoms. We sounded 40 

 fathoms once, and afterwards 13i fathoms. The trawl was hauled 

 at 8.30 a.m. There was less scruff than before, but Alajoniitm, or 

 " teats," were very plentiful in it. Only a small quantity of fish. 

 The smallest plaice was 10 in., an immature female ; there were 

 altogether 28 females, the largest 2H in. ; 19 males, the largest 20iin. 

 There were a few lemon soles, haddock, roker, cod, grey gurnard, and 

 dabs. Up to this time we had not taken a turbot or brill. 



Fifth haul, 11.30 a.m., June 23rd, to 4.30 p.m., along the east side of 

 the Sole Pit. Scruff as usual, with the addition of whelk-spawn and 

 Flustra, sometimes known to the fishermen as " scented weed." 



The smallest plaice was 9^ in., and only one thrown over: largest 

 21^ in. Some small haddocks 8i in. Smallest lemon sole 8J in. The 

 fish thrown away were \ basketful of small haddocks, whiting, 

 gurnards, dabs, the haddocks up to 10| in., dabs up to 9| in., and all the 

 grey gurnard. The fish kept were 1^ baskets plaice, 1 basket kit 

 haddock, \ basket dabs and codlings, \ basket whiting and lemon soles, 



3 small roker {Raia clavata), and 2 turbot, one 22 in. male, ripe ; one 

 2 ft, li in. female, not ripe. 



Fifteen more hauls were made in or close to the Sole Pit with 

 varying fortune, but several of them were failures, in consequence 

 of the trawl catching fast and the net being torn. The ground in 

 this part is rough, and necessitates short hauls and much net mending. 

 The scruff was always abundant and of much the same composition. I 

 made a careful examination of all the waste fish from one haul. 

 The marketable fish from this haul was : — 1 basket plaice, li baskets 

 kit haddock, i basket dabs and codling, h basket lemon soles and 

 whiting, 14 soles, 2 cod, 1 crab, 12 small rays. 



The waste fish filled nearly a basket, and comprised : — 220 dabs, 

 3^ in. to 10 in. long; 86 haddock, 7 in. to 11 in. long, measured to 

 the end of the middle ray of the tail ; 46 grey gurnard, 0^ in. to 11^ in. 

 long; 11 codling, 5| in. to lOi in. long; 3 whiting, 9^ in. to 10 in. ; 

 8 plaice, 8^ in. to lOin. ; 7 lemon soles, 7 in. to 10 in., the smallest 

 a ripe male; 3 scad, 11^ in. to 12|in. ; 1 bib {Gadus luscus), 6| in. ; 



