40 



summer wave of plaice in the inshore waters although it is not taken 

 advantage of, because, as has been said, other and more lucrative 

 fishing may then be resorted to. 



The conclusion is obvious therefore that a few of our marked 

 plaice are Uable to be caught in October and even in November, and 

 again m February to May, but not in the intervening months for 

 the reason that with few exceptions they are not there to catch. 

 The plaice were captured for the most part after their arrival from 

 the winter migration. 



The same will be found to apply to a seeming absence of migra- 

 tion in the case of the Huxley experiments in inshore regions further 

 south. 



In this connexion it ought also to be stated that while marked 

 fish have been sometimes recaptured on the day when the fish were 

 being marked, such were never recaptured in the same season when 

 the area was revisited. But in the next year (1904) four were 

 recaptured in July, August and September, and as in the other cases 

 evidencing no migration. 



If the above considerations be deemed sufficient to indicate 

 that such results as ours bear only an apparent negative significance, 

 we are led to the conclusion that the return migration to the same 

 area evidences a strong homing tendency, if such an expression 

 may be used in this case. There are exceptions, however. At the 

 proximal end of the region the fish may proceed next year still 

 further south, and the same is true of Blyth, which, as has been said, 

 is at the proximal end of another school. An ear Her return is also 

 indicated at Blyth, one specimen having been caught as early as 

 February 16th. Two Druridge Bay examples were recaptured 

 further north in March and May, and were evidently therefore 

 returning from the winter migration. 



In addition to the one mentioned which had migrated con- 

 spicuously to the north, others were got in 1904 and 1905 far to the 

 north of the place of Hberation. These will be referred to presently. 



The fact that more of the marked plaice were not recaptured 

 by trawlers tends to show that the plaice do not go beyond 

 the territorial waters, at least in Northumberland. This may be 

 associated with the large area at the northern end brought about 

 by the Fame Islands. 



