270 EXPERIMENTS ON THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF 



= 60 fathoms x 5 fathoms, with sixty-four rows to the yard — 

 bringing the mesh a trifle over half an inch. 



Our whole net, then, was about 50 yards shorter than that de- 

 scribed for the south of France by Prof. Marion, but was 30 feet 

 deep, while the French net is only about 11 feet. When corked and 

 leaded, complete, and ready for use the net cost £62 10s. 



The order was given on the 12th May, 1891, and the net received 

 on the 26th of August. 



The autumn and summer seasons, as everyone knows, were ex- 

 tremely unsettled, and the long-continued gales often rendered fish- 

 ing quite impossible for several weeks at a time. We, therefore, 

 had a most unfortunate start in this our attempt to ascertain if it 

 was possible to institute an entirely new fishery for England. For 

 instance, on receiving reports that anchovies were seen off Meva- 

 gissey, in Cornwall, I sent a boat at once, but a gale springing up 

 just before the destination was reached, the anchovies disappeared, 

 and a week was spent lying wind-bound in harbour. During 

 very many weeks the boat could not leave Plymouth on account of 

 heavy weather, and often when the attempt was made it was found 

 impossible to shoot the nets. 



The first trial was made on the 4th of September, 1891, and the 

 nets were finally taken on shore on 14th January, 1892. During 

 that period the nets were shot twenty-two times. The results 

 yielded considerable numbers of sprats, pilchards both large and 

 small, a few mackerel and herring, but anchovies only in limited 

 numbers. 



That several shoals of anchovies were present I feel satisfied, on 

 account of the numerous reports received, accompanied in many 

 cases by specimens. 



To aid us in determining the best localities, I put an advertise- 

 ment up on the fish quay, asking that information might be given 

 to the fishermen of the Association when anchovies had been seen 

 or caught. In my record of the anchovy experiments I come upon 

 many entries relating to reports of this kind, and after deducting a 

 proper percentage for the somewhat large grain of salt with which 

 almost every fishermen deems it necessary to flavour his remarks, I 

 am inclined to come to the conclusion that, although our own fishing 

 proved unsuccessful from a commercial point of view, there were 

 nevertheless large shoals of anchovies off the coast of Devon. To 

 take an extract from my diary : 



'' November 9th. Roach reports this morning that a boat fishing 

 mackerel on Saturday night (7th) about twenty miles south of 

 Salcombe, caught 20,000 mackerel, 1000 Acanthias, and was amongst 

 anchovies in such numbers that a net to mesh them could not have 



