I 



IN THE BAYS ON THE SOUTH-EAST COAST OF DEVON. 463 



where they are much less abundant. If the influence of Stations IV., 

 IVa., and V. for 1901 be reduced to the same relative proportions as 

 prevailed in 1902, omitting Station VI. in each case, the catch per hour 

 during the two seasons becomes altered as follows : — 



Season. 

 .Tuly-Sept., 1901 

 July-Sept., 1902 



Now that the two seasonal averages have been made comparable, it 

 will be observed that the discrepancies in the general averages were 

 largely attributable to the disproportionate combination of hauls over 

 different grounds in the two seasons. Instead of a relative fall in the 

 total catch of fish in 1902 as compared with the previous year, the 

 maximum for 1902 is now seen to be somewhat in excess of that for 

 1901, and tlie small fish below 8 inches in length are seen in reality to 

 have been not less numerous, but slightly more abundant in the later 

 than the earlier year. The figures for the other size-groups are not so 

 seriously affected, but the hourly catch of large fish above 15 inches is 

 slightly raised in both years by the omission of Station VI., which, 

 strictly speaking, lies outside the limits of the bay. It will be further 

 noticed that the marked increase in the number of immature medium- 

 sized plaice, which the general average in Table XL revealed for the 

 summer season of 1902, is confirmed. 



With the exception of the season just referred to, it will be noticed 

 that the smallest plaice were more abundant than any of the other size- 

 groups at each season of the year, in spite of the depressing effect of a 

 somewhat high representation of Stations IVa. and VI. in the general 

 averages. Indeed, for the greater part of the year the fish below 

 8 inches in length were actually more numerous than the plaice of all 

 other sizes taken together. This result contrasts markedly with the 

 condition previously shown to have obtained in Start Bay, where the 

 predominant group of plaice was, for the most part, that from 12 to 

 14 inches. In other words, the mature medium-sized plaice were the 

 most abundant in Start Bay, while the small unsaleable fish took the 

 lead in Torbay. 



Nevertheless, the actual abundance of mature medium-sized plaice 

 in Torbay during the latter half of 1901 was scarcely less than in Start 

 Bay. Their greater scarcity in the summer of 1902 is an isolated 

 feature which it is not easy to explain with certainty. The results of 

 the marking experiments in the spring of 1902 demonstrate that the 

 plaice in the mouth of Torbay showed a far stronger tendency to 

 migrate southwards into Start Bay than into Torbay itself during the 

 summer season ; so that the trawling statistics accord with the migration 



