NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 97 
September and beginning of October, they proved to be in all parts 
of the river which we visited. 
We sometimes took enormous numbers of half-grown Agonus and 
Centronotus, while Cottus, Liparis, and Gobius were always fairly 
plentiful. Callionymus lyra (“ dragon”), a species not observed on 
other grounds, occurred pretty often, T’rachinus vipera less frequently. 
The ground includes the site of the old Tetney native oyster bed, 
but whilst we always got a lot of shells we only once obtained 
a living native, probably well-nigh the last survivor of its race. 
Edible crabs were caught now and then, and there was always a large 
assortment of shore, hermit, and swimmer crabs, and sometimes a few 
Hyas araneus. Solaster papposa was rather abundant. 
“ Paull Middle” grownd.—Of the ‘shrimping grounds this appears 
to be the most important, as the Paull boats often take a haul over 
it whilst dropping down with the ebb to the lower reaches of the 
river. The “ Vallota” was only able to make two hauls there. The 
most productive yielded a quart of shrimps, the rest of the catch con- 
sisting of 35 plaice at 1$ to 11 inches, 18 dabs at 3 to 8 inches, 250 
small whiting, 8 small cod, and a few flounders, besides a few fish of 
less importance. 
“ Sand Haile” ground.—Here we made one haul of an hour’s 
duration, and caught a quart of shrimps and a pint of prawns, some 
unmarketable fish, and the following : 
One sole at 13 inches, and 12 at 34 to 84 inches; 1 lemon sole at 
6 inches ; 554 dabs at 14+ to 4 inches, and 17 at 43 to 74 inches ; 6 
plaice at 2 to 21 inches, 4 at 5 inches, and 59 at 7 to 13 inches; 
115 small cod ; 410 small whiting. 
Summary of capture of fish—It will be seen from the detailed 
statements given above that very few flat-fish are lable to be caught 
at the season under discussion on the ‘ Trinity,” “Middle Sand,” 
and “‘ Ness Channel” prawning grounds ; that the upper part of the 
“ Back of the Ness” ground is also comparatively free from flat-fish, 
but that some quantity may occur on the lower half. It also appears 
that the most abundant species is the comparatively worthless common 
dab. 
‘The “Tetney ” prawning ground, however, yielded a good many 
flat-fish, though here again dabs were the chief sufferers; but it 
must be remembered that this ground was worked with a trawl 
furnished with a narrow chained ground-rope, specially designed to 
pick up very small flat-fish, and, so far as I could judge, rather more 
efficacious for this purpose than the thick hemp rope of the profes- 
sional shrimp-trawl. 
It is, however, evident that great numbers of small cod and 
whiting are liable to be caught on all the prawning grounds. 
NEW SERIES.—VOL, III, NO. I. 
