96 



Part III. — Ttventieth Annual Report 



haddocks, 72 whitings, 27 lemon soles, and 12 megrims. The unmarket- 

 able fishes consisted principally of the previous year's haddocks (508 in 

 number), small whitings, and long rough dabs. The vessel then steamed 

 to Lunan Bay, near Montrose, and shot the trawl in 12 ^ fathoms, the 

 small mesh being around the cod-end. Sixteen minutes later the net 

 caught on the bottom, and it was brought up. The cod-end contained 

 82 fishes, of which twenty were marketable, viz., nineteen plaice and one 

 lemon sole ; the vinmarketable fishes consisted chiefly of haddocks and 

 long rough dabs. Although only fishing for sixteen minutes the small- 

 meshed net contained 2061 fishes, comprising 1916 small herrings, 80 

 sprats, six haddocks, 35 whitings, 15 common dabs, five long rough 

 dabs, one gurnard, and three N'orway pouts. Another shot was made, 

 but in half-an-hour the net again caught on the bottom and was hauled. 

 It contained 35 plaice and 34 haddocks, all marketable, also a dragonet 

 and a flounder. 



Thereafter the vessel returned to Aberdeen Bay and made two hauls 

 between Newburgh and the Black Dog, one in eight, and the other in 

 from six to eleven fathoms, each haul occupying four hours. The 

 number of mai"ketable fishes (I.) and unmarketable (II.) taken in the 

 eight hours was as follows : — 



One red gurnard {1\ cucidas) and two anglers were also taken. The 

 number of marketable fishes was thus 1354, while 1914 were unmarket- 

 able. 



Entering the Moray Firth, the trawl was dropped on the east edge of 

 Smith Bank, in thirty fathoms, and a four hours' drag yielded 144 

 fishes, of which 21 were marketable and 123 unmarketable. Shifting 

 to the west edge of the bank, two drags were taken in about 31-32 

 fathoms, and the 8| hours' trawling gave 1224 fishes, of which 681 were 

 marketable and 543 unmarketable. The numbers of the various kinds 

 taken in the three drags (12| hours) are these : — 



