86 
95 per haul; the average tor the seven years (1895-99) 
was nearly 967 per haul. 
(4.) The number of fish caught on closely-adjacent 
grounds is sometimes very different, even when the 
depth and bottom are very similar. Caution is, therefore, 
necessary in comparing neighbouring grounds, even when 
these are similar physically, unless we have previously 
ascertained that they are almost similar biologically. 
(5.) Our statistics for the 10 years 1893-1902 show 
that : — 
1. Young plaice on the shrimping grounds have 
diminished. 
r 
~ 
2. Young soles on the shrimping grounds have 
increased. 
The distribution and relative abundance of these 
young food fishes throughout the year on the various 
banks and other shrimping grounds will have to be still 
further studied from more abundant statisties before 
these variations can be considered as established and 
understood. 
In regard to the shrimp, also, we want more informa- 
tion as tothe relative abundance of the sexes, the 
spawning periods, the time of hatching, the rate of 
growth, the proportional numbers throughout the year, 
and the distribution on and about the shrimping grounds. 
It must be remembered that work done in other seas 
cannot be utilised in our own district except as a general 
guide to investigation. An intensive study of the fish 
and shrimp populations on the areas we propose to deal 
with will have to be undertaken. 
Such investigations as we contemplate would require 
one whole day’s trawling per week on each of the prin- 
cipal grounds to be compared, say in Morecambe Bay, on 
