53 



In March 1912, a female, of 41-5-44 cm., and " partly spent," was taken, after 

 325 daj's, off Buclianness, at a distance of 85 miles. 



In April, a male was captured, "nearly ripe," and measuring 29-5-36-4 cm., 

 but the place of- capture was not recorded ; and a female, of 32-34 cm.; and thus 

 under adult size, was taken, after 355 days, off St. Abb's Head, 26 miles from the 

 Station, " immature." 



In the 12 months after hberation, therefore, 13 fishes, or 54-2 per cent, 

 of the total, were recaptured, the positions of capture being recorded for 10 

 of them. Four were caught within the Firth of Forth, and the others outside the 

 Firth. 



Of the remainder, 5 were recovered in 1912. A female, of 30-37-9 cm., and 

 " immature," was taken in May, after 394 days, 38 miles to the north and east ; 

 in June, a male, of 32-38-8 cm., and " half ripe," was caught, after 415 days, 43 

 miles to the north and east ; in July, another ma!e, of 32-37-1 cm., was taken, 

 after 437 days, off the mouth of the Forth, 18 miles distant ; in August, after 

 482 days, another male was recaptured, farther in the same direction, at a distance 

 of 28| miles ; in November, after 576 days, a male, whose size on liberation was 

 34 cm., the size on recapture being unknown, was taken to the north-east, off 

 Stonehaven, at a distance of 58 miles. 



Five fishes were caught in 1913, 3 females and 2 males. In February, 2 females 

 were taken, 1, of 36-5-44-9 cm., and " spawning," was got, after 666 days, 29 miles 

 to the eastwards ; the other, of 34-47-2 cm., and " ripe," was found, after 668 days, 

 to the south-east of Aberdeen, at a distance of 67J miles. A male, of 29 cm., when 

 hberated, the size on recapture being unknown, was caught, after 686 days, H miles 

 off Banff, in the Moray Firth, at a distance of 134| miles, but the condition of the 

 testes was not ascertained. In April, after 711 days, another male, measurin^T 

 32-41-4 cm., was caught in the Moray Firth, farther to the west, off Buckie, the 

 condition of the testes not being recorded. In August, after 837 days, a female, 

 of 35-47-1 cm., was caught 51 miles to the north and east, to the eastwards of the 

 Bell Rock. 



The last fish to be recaptured was a female, which was taken in August 1914, 

 after 1220 days, far offshore, to the south-east of Aberdeen, at a distance of 77 miles ; 

 it measured 32-44-2 cm., and was " immature." 



Distances travelled — Under 10 miles. — Three fish, or 14-3 per cent., were taken 

 within 10 miles of the Station, and all were females (23-1 per cent.), the average 

 distance being 5*1 miles ; 2 were caught off Pittenweem, and 1 off Largo, in the 

 Firth of Forth, the former after 301 and 304 days, and the latter after 42 

 days. 



10 to 20 miles. — Two were recaptured between 10 and 20 miles, or 9-5 per cent. 

 One was a male, which was taken 18 miles distant, east of the Isle of May, and 

 the other, a female, which was got farther west, in the Firth of Forth, near Burnt- 

 island. Thus, 5 fishes, or 23-8 per cent., were taken at distances under 20 miles, 



1 male and 4 females, only the male being got outside the Firth. 



20 to 50 miles. — Six (28-6 per cent.) were taken at distances of from 26| to 50 

 miles, 3 males (37-5 per cent.) and 3 females (23-1 per cent.) ; 2 of the males and 



2 of the females went north and east, and 1 male and 1 female east and shghtly 

 south; the mean distance for the males was 40-5 miles, and for the females, 31-3 

 miles. 



50 to 100 miles. — Five fish, or 23-8 per cent., were recaptured at distances of 

 from 51 to 85 miles, viz. 1 male and 4 females (30-8 per cent.), the average distance 

 for the latter being 70-3 miles. All migrated northwards, 4 being caught off the 

 Aberdeenshire coast, and 1 far east of the Bell Rock. 



Over 100 miles. — Five of the fish, or 23-8 per cent., 3 males (37-5 per cent.) 

 and 2 females (15-4 per cent.) were taken at distances of from 115 to 218 miles, 

 the average for the males being 167-6 miles, and for the females 134-5 miles. 

 Two were got in the Moray Firth, 1 just outside its boundaries, and 1 off 

 Rattray Point, at the entrance to the Moray Firth, and 1 on the north coast of 

 Scotland. The rates of travel of these distant fish ranged from 1-9 to 7-4 miles 

 per 10 days, as contrasted with -6 to 2-6 for the fish caught between 50 and 100 

 miles. 



Four fish, or 19 per cent., were recovered within the Firth of Forth, and 17, or 



