of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



25 



28'6, 40"9. The averages for all the months combined in each of the 

 periods are : 22-0 for the first, 19'0 for the second, and 20'0 for the 

 third. The percentages foi- the various months in the three periods 

 are: for September, 21-0, 12-6, 7-7; for March, 6-8, 6>8, 5-2; for April, 

 18-9, 13-3, 12"4; for July, 12-4, 14-8, 18'7. The percentages for all 

 the months combined in each of the periods are, 16'5, 12*6, and 12'7, 

 respectively. The general average and percentage for the periods agree 

 in showing an actual decline between the first and the second periods, 

 and between the first and the third ; but the average for the third is 

 slightly higher thaii the average for the second, while the percentage is 

 practically the same, The evidence from these figures, therefore, while 

 showing that an actual decrease occurred from the fii'st to the second 

 periods, indicates an apparent increase from the second to the third. 

 As stated above, no hauls were made in the first period in March or 

 July in 1887 and 1888, The average for June, 1887, was 62'0, and for 

 August, 61-6; for June, 1888, it was 25*7, and for August 30'0, 

 indicating an approximate average for the intermediate month of 61 '8 

 and 27'9, respectively. If these averages were combined with those 

 actually made in July in other years, the indicated average would be 

 36-4 instead of 20"7. 



The averages and percentages for common dabs show a general 

 increase from one period to another. 



The increase from the first to the second period is shown in each of 

 the months, both in the averages and the percentages. In March and 

 April there is a similar increase in both from the second to the third 

 period, and in September and July a decrease. The averages for the 

 various months in the three periods ai'e as follow : — September, 58' 9, 

 89-5, 43-8; March, IM, 19-4, 39'3 ; April, 20-4, 30-6, 6M ; July, 60-7, 

 72'7, 68'3. The averages for all the months combined, in each period, 

 are successively, 36-5, 52*3, 53-8. The percentages for the various 

 months are— for September, 27-8, 41-4, 335; for Mai-ch, 171, 21-7, 

 39-6; for April, 20-8, 27-8, 36-5; for July, 36-3, 37-5, 31-2. The 

 percentages for the three periods, with the months combined in each, 

 are, 27*5, 34"6, 34"3. It will thus be observed that the increase from 

 the second to the third period is much smaller than from the first to the 

 second. In the first period no hauls were made in March or July in the 

 most productive year, 1887, nor in 1888. The averages for June and 

 August in 1887 were, respectively, 49-3 and 38-4 ; in 1888 the 

 corresponding averages were 26*7 and 45*7, the indicated approximate 



