442 llEPORT ON TKAWLING AND OTHER INVESTIGATIONS 



sufficient to fill a trunk. On the other hand, the maund is the only 

 small l)asket which the large smacks employ.* 



As the fish are sold in trunks and small baskets, it might be thought 

 a simple matter for an expert to tell the quantities of large and small 

 fish. As a general rule this is the case, and the size used by the fisher- 

 men to distinguish large from small, i.e. the fish of the trunks from 

 those of the baskets, agrees closely with a standard chosen for a special 

 purpose of the present research. As shown in describing the fishing- 

 grounds, whiting form the staple support of the fishermen for the greater 

 part of the year, and if we omit the prime fish, plaice rank next in 

 importance. Of the whiting and plaice, all below 8 inches are thrown 

 overboard, those between 8 and 11 inches are packed in the baskets, 

 and those over 11 inches in the trunks. Sometimes the small are placed 

 in trunks when very numerous ; this happens most often with whiting, 

 but not so frequently with plaice. On the other hand, some larger 

 plaice are often packed into the small baskets when too few to make up 

 a maund, and they may be taken to counterbalance the small plaice 

 packed in the trunks. This has been done in the present work, and it 

 may be remarked that this method of forming an estimate lessens the 

 number of small plaice rather than the large ones. 



Sometimes also small plaice, when too few to fill a separate basket, 

 are packed in the same basket with dabs and flounders, and similarly 

 the whiting with gurnards. Their number is, however, negligible, as 

 plaice and whiting are the best of the "offal," and it would be bad 

 policy on the fisherman's part to mix them with the others. 



The difficulties of obtaining the numbers of small and large plaice 

 and whiting reduce themselves therefore to those of simple enumera- 

 tion. When a large quantity of fish is landed at one time there is 

 some difficulty in counting all the baskets and trunks, but as a general 

 rule the task is a comparatively easy one. 



The only other species which has been taken into account is the sole. 

 The quantities landed of this fish are readily obtainable, as they are 

 always spread out on the ground in pairs. 



Plaice, soles, and whiting were chosen for special investigation, for 

 the reason that they are by far the most important species ; and, further, 

 since the work was entirely new, and at first of considerable difficulty, 

 it was considered more desirable to obtain definite information with 

 regard to a few species than imperfect records of many.f 



* The maund, four of which are equal to a trunk, is so seldom employed by the 

 MumV>le Bees that it might have been disregarded, but where it occurred in the statistics 

 it has been converted into its equivalent in trunks. 



t Mr. Will Sanders, a tru.stwortliy fish salesman of Brixham, recorded the daily returns 

 of fish landed. Although the information is definite, no claim is made that it is perfect. 

 There aw several shortcomings in detail. . . . 



