TRAWLING IN BAYS ON THE SOUTH COAST OF DEVON 305 



Besides the species entered in Table I. our record includes, of market- 

 able kinds, only a few small pout and an occasional herring. 



In the later records, kept by Mr. Scott and myself, appear spur-dogS, 

 rough-dogs, angels or bufibous {PJiina squatina), dragonets, locally 

 known as miller's thumbs or sting- fish, scald-fish {Arnocjlossus laterna), 

 and solenettes. The dog-fish and angels, rapacious creatures all, would 

 be of some importance if very numerous, which they were not. The 

 soleuette deserves a little attention, since this small fish, which hardly 

 exceeds a length of five inches, is quite commonly regarded, even by 

 fishermen, as the young of the marketable sole. Keaders who, having 

 experience of the bay, may not be familiar with the distinctive character 

 of the several species of sole, will understand that the scanty number 

 of small soles is accounted for by the elimination of solenettes. 



Plaice are no doubt the most important fish found in the bay, since, 

 although their individual value is far less than that of soles, turbot, 

 or even brill, they are infinitely more abundant than those species. 

 Glancing at Table II., we see that the proportion of unsaleable fish 

 in October and December is less than 1 per cent. No reliable con- 

 clusions can be drawn from the two hauls made in January. The 

 first haul (vi.) in bad weather was utterly blank, while the second 

 (vii.) in six hours produced only lo plaice. It is impossible to judge 

 to what extent they may be normally present on the ground at this 

 season. It is evident that they are difficult to catch in foul weather, 

 and this, I believe, is the common experience of trawlers on similar 

 shallow grounds. The explanation usually offered is to the effect that 

 the fish bury themselves in the sand, and the little evidence which 

 I have been able to collect on the subject does not contradict this 

 view. 



In March the percentage of unsaleable plaice rises to 26 ; in May 

 and June to 46 ; while the general supply appears to be less in summer 

 than in spring. In July, if two hauls give any reliable data, the 

 supply remains about the same, but the percentage of unsaleable falls 

 to 29. 



Turning to the proportion of immature fish, this from March to 

 July is never less than 76 per cent. In October it falls to 39, in 

 December to 32 per cent. 



Large fish, i.e., those of 15 inches and above, appear to be never 

 numerous. In October they stand at 11 per cent; in the spring and 

 summer at 6 to 7 per cent. only. 



Dabs appear to be numerically more abundant than plaice at all 

 seasons except during the month of December. From IMarch to July 

 the proportion of unsaleable is from 66 to 75 per cent., falling in 

 October to 39, and in December to 10 per cent. 



