312 REMARKS ON TRAWLING. 
most natural method is to place the larval fishes—just before the 
yolk-sac is absorbed—some distance from shore. They are more or 
less transparent, and will escape many of the dangers they run in 
such waters, and, before being carried close inshore, will either be 
transformed or about to be transformed, and more capable of escap- 
ing by their own exertions from their enemies. If the larve are 
placed in the sea close to a rocky beach or stretch of tidal sand or 
gravel, it is possible that many would be stranded by the tide. 
Therefore, though the observation that the young plaice (with eyes 
now on the right side) abound in spring in the shallow rock-pools 
and elsewhere is perfectly correct, it is no argument for placing the 
larval fishes in their neighbourhood, when in a truly pelagic con- 
dition. In the same way the spawning ling are found far from the 
inshore waters, their minute eggs being hatched in the open ocean, 
and the young stages passed long before reaching the margin of low 
water. The ling has not, indeed, been found in inshore waters till 
it reaches about 3 inches (3$) in length, and then in very limited 
numbers. It is more frequently secured when from 6 to 8 inches in 
length—at extreme low water at the margins of the rocks. As it 
gets larger it seeks the offshore, and thus, as in the plaice, there is 
a double migration—the wafting of the eggs, larval and young 
fishes shorewards, and the return of the adolescent and the larger 
forms seawards. A similar life-history appears to be present in 
many of the food-fishes—e. g. the turbot, brill, and halibut, though 
in the case of the dab, long rough dab, and some others there are 
marked exceptions, as pointed out in the Trawling Report. ‘Thus, 
“the large proportion of immature dabs found 15 miles off St. 
Abb’s Head is interesting, and shows that such are not confined to 
shallow bays like that of St. Andrew’s. Moreover, the occurrence of 
relatively small specimens at this and even greater distances from 
land would raise a doubt as to whether all such young forms have 
been reared on a sandy beach inshore.”’* Since the foregoing was 
written, opportunities, by aid of the “Garland,” for using the 
special trawl-like tow-net and the mid-water net near and at the 
bottom on the grounds 15 to 20 miles south-east of the Island of 
May, have been afforded, and great numbers of larval, post-larval, 
and young dabs, long rough dabs, and other forms have been 
obtained, thus confirming the opinion formerly expressed. More- 
over, the trawling work of the ‘Garland ”’ on its various stations 
from the Moray Firth to the Forth bear out the same conclusion. 
Again, the deeper water is the home of the post-larval frog-fish, 
even the pelagic eggs being rather uncommon near shore. The 
adolescent and adults, on the other hand, are frequent in shallow 
sandy bays like St. Andrew’s. 
* Report, Royal Commission on Trawling, p. 361. 
