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Part III. — Twentieth Anniml Report 



There were also taken in these hauls seven solenettes, four starry rays 

 (mai-ketable), one gemmeous dragonet, and twenty-two anglers. Plaice, 

 it will be seen, formed the bulk of the catch, while haddocks and 

 whiting were very scarce. Much of the fishing was made, however, in 

 shallow water (five to seven fathoms), and this mostly accounts for the 

 very large proportion of small plaice which were taken on this occasion. 

 It also perhaps explains the exceptional number of flounders captured, 

 some of the males of which were ripe, the spermatic fluid oozing from 

 them on slight pressure. A stifl' breeze was also blowing offshore (from 

 the westward) during the fishing in the Dornoch, and this condition was 

 considered to be favourable. A number of other unrecorded hauls were 

 taken, and the quantity of fish landed on the morning of the 7th 

 August, as the result of the fishing in the Moray Firth, amounted to 

 149| cwts., as follows : — 



The amount realised for the fish was £255 17s. 9d., owing to the 

 quantity of plaice and the high prices ruling at the time. 



V. 



On 21st August the "Star of Hope" was employed to make a haul 

 at the " Dog Hole," off" Aberdeen, and a few hauls in Aberdeen Bay. 

 The haul at the former place, about ten miles off", in 58 fathoms, lasted 

 one hour and twenty-three minutes, and the otter trawl contained 

 1058 fishes, of which 735 were marketable and 323 unmarketable, as 

 follows : — 



