TRAWLING EXPERIMENTS, 



BY ALEXANDER MEEK, 



In 1913, from May to November, a series of trawling experi- 

 ments were made at the usual stations, and in all respects in parallel 

 with those of previous years. 



The general conditions are indicated in Table I. (including 

 the determinations of sahnities of the surface water by G. Sisson), 

 and the details of the catches in Table II. In Table III. a summary 

 is given showing the catch at each experiment per one hour's 

 trawling. 



There are several points of interest which may be briefly 

 refered to. Firstly, with regard to the large numbers of gurnards, 

 especially in Akimouth Bay. Gurnards certainly vary considerably 

 in numbers according to season, but whether in large or in small 

 numbers they always predominate in Alnmouth Bay, and there 

 are more to the south of Alnmouth Bay than at the northern 

 stations. This feature of distribution is well illustrated in this 

 year of plenty. The species invaded the bay in the spring, reaching 

 a maximum in July. A second maximum occurred in August, 

 and the gurnards practically left the bay in November. The July 

 maximum is seen in most seasons, and also the departure between 

 September and November. Druridge Bay to the south of Aln- 

 mouth Bay also presents two maxima, in July and September. 

 Blyth Bay received gurnards in numbers only in August. At the 

 northern end of the district the gurnards as usual were small in 

 numbers, reaching a maximum in September, and a comparison 

 with the results of previous years bears this out. 



The gurnards are for the most part young and immature, and 

 their distribution is similar to that described in this report for 

 plaice and dabs as the result of a seasonal migration. The experi- 

 ments for a large number of years show that they practically 

 leave the inshore waters in October, and return like the other 



