98 NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 
Turning to the shrimping grounds, we find a moderate quantity of 
small flat-fish on Paull Middle, less than on Tetney, but considerably 
more than on the other prawn grounds ; whilst of round-fish, cod are 
but poorly represented. On the Sand Haile we find a great quantity 
of flat-fish, very much reduced if we eliminate the dabs. 
Destruction of fish—Having thus dealt with the capture of fish on 
different grounds, it behoves us next to consider how many of them 
are thereby destroyed. 
In the ordinary course of the industry, when the trawl comes on 
board the catch is shot into a box, or on to the deck, and as many 
as possible of the unsaleable products are picked out by hand and 
pitched overboard. In this way the Cottus, Liparis, Agonus, crabs, 
&c., are at once returned to the water, and being all hardy forms, 
are none the worse. I question very much whether it would not be 
wiser to destroy the Cottus and Liparis, as their appetite for prawns 
is inordinate, and they do not appear to subserve any function use- 
ful to the fisherman. Swimmer crabs, also, I am inclined to regard 
as deserving scant consideration. By the same process the whiting 
and cod, having no value at such a small size, are returned to the 
sea—to be out of the way, if for no more provident intent. Such 
flat-fish as are saleable are put aside, the remainder being thrown 
overboard, at least such as are large enough to attract attention. 
The catch of prawns or shrimps, having thus been roughly cleared, 
is placed on the sieve and riddled over the side of the boat. In this 
way the smaller prawns and shrimps find their way back to the sea 
uninjured, and any flat-fish which have previously escaped detection 
also pass through the wires. The fisherman’s object being to get 
the prawns ready for cooking as soon as possible, it is evident that 
no time will be lost in getting the unsaleable items of the catch out of 
the way. It remains to be seen whether the small fish of valuable 
kinds are in any way the worse for their temporary sojourn in the 
net and on deck. 
No doubt the most delicate forms are the young whiting and cod, 
but I have found occasion to modify an opinion expressed in the last 
number of this Journal, that the former would not survive even if 
immediately returned. Both species are always full of life when they 
come on board (except such as may have been nipped by a shore or 
swimmer crab in the net, or gorged by a Cottus), but, if allowed to 
he on the deck for any time, very soon become sickly and die. _ If, 
however, they are at once thrown overboard they swim away appa- 
rently little the worse. With a view to ascertaining the degree of 
vitality as far as possible, on several occasions the small whiting and 
cod were thrown into a tub of water instead of overboard, and exa- 
mined at the end of an hour, ‘The conditions might have been more 
