468 



REPORT ON TRAWLING AND OTHRR INVESTIGATIONS 



it might appear as if the plaice were the most abundant, but an ex- 

 amination of the tables at the end shows that more than two-thirds 

 (116) of the total (169) were obtained in one haul during July, 1902. 

 Disregarding this haul as exceptional, probably due to the exceptional 

 physical conditions during 1902 to be presently referred to, all the 

 remaining hauls show that coarse fish, thornbacks, buffoons, and dog- 

 fish are the distinguishing features of Station IX. The invertebrate 

 fauna is also peculiar, cuttle-fish, oysters, Turritella, Trochus, Natica, 

 Buccinum, hermit-crabs, Porcellana, swimming-crabs (es^ecmWy P. puher), 

 with various species of sea-anemones (especially Actinoloba), and 

 hydroids being of exceptional abundance. The relation of the fish 

 fauna to the invertebrates was not determined, but it may be gathered 

 from what has been said that Teignmouth Bay offers a rich field for 

 future research. 



" Teignmouth Bay, like Torbay, is very liable to become ' foul ' during 

 the spring and summer, on account of the large quantities of drift-weed 

 which the eddy of the Great West Bay carries down. The difficulties 

 of trawling are thereby greatly increased, and the summer hauls are 

 not truly representative of the fish of the bay. Station VII. is 

 perhaps the worst in this respect, and it is probable that its normal 

 inhabitants migrate outwards towards Station IX., whilst the seaweed 

 ' plague ' persists. This may account for the unusual number of plaice 

 and dabs caught on the latter station in July, 1902. 



" Holt has also remarked upon the incursion of seaweed into Teign- 

 mouth Bay during the summer." 



The general characteristics of the stations may be gathered from 

 the accompanying table, which has been prepared on the same lines 

 as the corresponding ones for Start Bay and Torbay. The large 

 proportion of small plaice usually caught in Station VII. shows that 

 in any seasonal combination of the records of the different stations 

 the results will not be strictly comparable unless due attention is 

 paid to their proportional representation. 



Table XV., shovAng the Average Catch per Hour for the entire 'jieriod on 

 the various stations of Teignmouth Bay. 



