12 



Since trawling, the method of fishing by which most of the marked plaice 

 were taken, is prohibited in the Firth of Forth, the facts may be stated in another 

 way. Of the total of 823 plaice which were marked and liberated, the percentage 

 recaptured in the Firth of Forth was 12-4:, and outside the Firth, 45*9 ; 35-7 per 

 cent, were taken south of Kinnaird, 6*2 per cent, in the Moray Firth, 4 per cent, 

 farther north and west, and only 2'2 per cent, south of the Firth of Forth. 



Two experiments were also made 3 miles north-east of Fidra Light, with results 

 very similar to those above described, the majority of the fish going to the north- 

 wards. In the first experiment, where 100 plaice were marked and hberated, 

 67 were recaptured. Of these, 8, or 11"9 per cent., were taken within the Firth 

 of Forth, and 59, or 88-1 per cent., outside it. Seven, or 10"4 per cent., were got 

 in the Moray Firth, and only 2, or 3 per cent., were recaptured south of the Firth 

 of Forth. In the other experiment, of 100 fish Uberated, 50 were captured, 10, or 

 20 per cent., in the Firth of Forth, and 40, or 80 per cent., outside the Firth. In 

 this case, 3, or 6 per cent., were got in the Moray Firth, and 5, or 10 per cent., 

 south of the Firth of Forth. The particulars are given in the following table : — 



(2) ABERDEEN BANK. 



The results at the station at Aberdeen Bank were somewhat different from those 

 in the area of the Firth of Forth, a larger proportion of the marked plaice being 

 got to the soutli of the station. This station Hes at a considerable distance from 

 shore, about 33i miles S.E. by E. | S. from Aberdeen, the nearest land, and has 

 a depth of 34-37 fathoms of water. The great majority of the fish moved shore- 

 wards towards the west, and about as many to the south as to the north. This 

 was especially marked in the experiments made in the summer months. The 

 following table shows the numbers, so far as the particulars serve, which were 



