386 Part III. — Tiventiet/i Animal Report 



in the Clyde is so great as to justify the statement that there is there a 

 dwarfed race of long rough dabs comparable to the dwarfed race of plaice 

 to be found in the Baltic. The measurements and the curves (PI. XIX.) 

 sufficiently establish this, but in order to test it I have tabulated from 

 the " Garland's" records the long rovigh dabs taken by the ordinary beam 

 trawl-net of that vessel in a year in the Firth of Clyde and in the 

 Firth of Forth, with the following result. Of 4716 caught in the 

 Clyde, 200, or 4-2 per cent., were above nine inches in length, while in 

 the Forth, of 2113 caught, 214 or 10"1 per cent, were above that size. 

 Moreover, while in the Clyde there were only thirteen, or 0*27 per 

 cent., above ten inches, there were in the Forth 113, or 5*4 per cent., 

 above that size ; in the Clyde there were two above eleven inches, in 

 the Forth thirty-nine; in the Clyde one was above twelve inches, in 

 the Forth nine ; and while the one referred to was the largest taken 

 in the Clyde, there were in the Forth three above thirteen inches 

 and one above fourteen inches. They have been obtained in the Forth 

 as large as 16| inches (420 mm.). Such large long rough dabs I never 

 found in the deep water oft' the Shetlands. 



THE WHITING {Gadus merlangus, L.). 



In last year's report the results of the measurements of a considerable 

 number of whitings caught in the autumn and winter of 1900 were 

 described, and since then a large number of others have been measured 

 at various dates, making a total of nearly 50,000 of this species. In 

 1900 hauls were made in the deep water oft* the Shetlands at the eiid of 

 August, beginning of September, and in October, and in 1891 in May 

 and December. The hauls in Aberdeen Bay in the former year com- 

 prised the months of September, October, and December. In 1891 

 collections were made in every month from May onward and one in 

 January 1902, and similar collections were obtained from the deep water 

 lying eight to twelve miles off Aberdeen. Collections were also made in 

 the Firth of Forth in the summer, and in the Moray Firth occasionally. 



While the general result is to confirm the conclusion previously reached 

 as to the rate of growth of the whiting, the additional observations throw 

 light upon the variation in growth at different seasons in the same 

 locality, and at the same season in different localities, and the influence 

 which temperature appears to exert in connection with such variations. 



The earliest series, comprising the smallest fishes, were first caught with 

 the small-meshed net, in Aberdeen Bay on the 31st July, in the 

 Firth of Forth on 23rd July, and in the deep water off Aberdeen on 21st 

 August. None were caught in hauls in Aberdeen Bay at the end of 

 June and on 5th July, nor in the deep water off Aberdeen at the end of 

 June (28th) or the end (30th) of July. A haul in 85 fathoms on 4th 

 July off Kinnaird Head, at the entrance of the Moray Firth, failed to 

 yield any whitings under about 8 inches ; and in the deep water off the 

 Shetlands none were procured in May, but a few were procured on 31st 

 August, 4th September, 16th October, and 11th December. 



Moreover, an examination of the appended Table (p. 388) will show 

 that while the numbers at first caught were generally few, the sizes were 

 relatively large, and that as the season advanced greater catches were 

 obtained, and at the same time the minimum size became reduced and 

 the maximum size increased. In Aberdeen Bay six were taken on 31st 

 July, and the smallest was 95 mm. (3| inches), and the largest 125 mm. 

 (4|f inches); on 4th September, of 557, the smallest Avas 85 mm, 



