94 NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 
the others 144 and 17} inches respectively. I may add that this 
last is the only instance of the capture of a fair-sized plaice in the 
Humber that has come under my notice. 
Common dabs were more numerous. They occurred in October 
in the first eight hauls, but were absent from the remaining three, 
which were made in November, but I do not know that we are 
justified in attaching much importance to this circumstance. The 
largest number taken in a haul was twenty, no other haul yielding 
more than seven. With the exception of one translucent metamor- 
phosing example of $ an inch, the smallest size taken was 14 inches, 
the largest being 104 inches. Taking 7 inches as a convenient 
limit for dividing large and small of this species, about two thirds of 
the fish caught must be included in the last category. 
Small cod and whiting were always taken. The average of eight 
hauls (the exact number taken in the remainder was not recorded) 
was 79 of the former and 78 of the latter, but the two kinds did not 
occur with equal regularity. Thus the extreme numbers taken in 
single hauls were for cod, 15 and 179; and for whiting, 36 and 
156. All sizes of cod from 24 to 7 inches were present, but the 
majority were under 5 inches. A solitary example measured 21 
inches. Whiting were from 3 to 74 inches, but mostly less than 6 
inches. 
Except a small ray, and an inconsiderable number of sprats, no 
other fish of known value occurred on this ground. 
All the kinds of unmarketable fish which I have mentioned above 
were represented, but Liparis predominated. Small Cotti and half- 
grown Agoni and Gobies were also abundant. 
Besides the prawns, which exhibited a very deep red colour when- 
ever we dropped into the 9-fathom hole near the lower end of the 
ground, a few shrimps were always taken. Other Invertebrates 
included a few sun-stars (S. papposa) and common star-fish, a few 
shore-crabs and common hermits, a good many swimmer-crabs 
(P. holsatus), masses of “ross” (Sabellaria alveolata), and a few 
whelks. A good many mussels would occur when we kept rather 
too close to the Trinity Sand. A little Delesseria was the only 
algoid noticed. 
It appears from the above that, save for a sprinkling of lemon 
soles and an occasional irruption of common dabs, this ground is very 
little affected by flat-fish, small or large, at the time when our 
investigations were made. On the other hand, it is evident that 
young cod and whiting must be extensively trawled by prawners at 
that season, should the conditions of their distribution be alike in all 
years. 
« Middle Sand” ground.—This is an important ground earlier in 
