NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 85 
In fact, it is my experience that, taking one box with another, at 
least a third of the fish contained in the boxes enumerated in column 
4 fail to reach the proposed biological standard of maturity, and, 
indeed, we should still be in no danger of exaggeration if we were 
to assume that that proportion is actually sexually immature. I am 
here speaking of a proportion of numbers, which is a very different 
matter from one of weight or bulk, such as is given in the case of 
boxes of “small” in column 5, 
We might certainly arrive approximately at the proportional 
number of small fish derived from all sources by converting boxes 
into numbers contained therein, but I have to confess that my 
confidence in the accuracy of column 1 is not such as to tempt me 
to elaborate further on that basis. Certain items of work, which 
during last season engrossed a great deal of time, having now been 
dealt with, it is my intention during the forthcoming small-fish 
season to take steps for obtaining statistical information which shall 
not be dependent for its accuracy on the correctness of any estimate 
whatsoever. 
Turbot.—So long as boats continued to work the eastern grounds 
for small plaice last year, they continued to bring in with them a 
large proportion of immature turbot, not essentially differing from 
that noticed for the earlier months in the last number of the Journal 
(p. 383). As soon as the eastern grounds were abandoned imma- 
ture turbot ceased to be a conspicuous feature in the market. It is 
not, however, clear that the small turbot leave the eastern grounds 
at the same time as the plaice, or, if they do so, it would appear 
that they may return earlier. Thus a smack returned on the 3rd 
March, 1893, from the Dutch and German grounds, bringing fifty- 
five turbot, of which thirty-five were immature, but no plaice. On 
the other hand, another smack, also from “across,” brought in a 
good lot of small plaice, but no considerable number of small turbot. 
It may be not uninteresting to compare the price of turbot now 
with that which could be obtained some twenty-five years ago. 
From an account belonging to my friend Mr. G. L. Alward I find 
thatin April, 1867, two boxes of turbot were sold in Billingsgate Market 
for £2. On one day in March of the present year the price in 
Grimsby Market rose as high as 2s. per lb. We may reckon about 
9 st. of fish to a box, which at 2s. per lb. would make the price 
£25 4s. for the two boxes. “The comparison is not altogether a fair 
one, as Mr. Alward tells me that prices were extraordinarily low on 
the occasion mentioned even for that period ;* whereas 2s. per lb. is 
the highest price, at first hand, of which I have heard even in Lent in 
recent years. ‘To what extent the difference is explicable by decrease 
* Nevertheless large turbot were often sold for only 1s. each. 
