54 



80-9 per cent., outside the Firth, 2, or 9-5 per cent., in the Moray Firth, as shown 

 in the adjoining table : — 



„ Inside Per Outside Pel South of Per Moray Per Farther Per 



Forth, cent. Forth. cent. Kinnaird. cent. Firth. cent. N. and W. cent. 



M. — — 8 100- 5 62-5 2 25" 1 12-5 



F. 4 30-8 9 69-2 8 61-5 — — 17-7 



Total. 4 19- 17 80-9 13 61-9 2 9-5 2 9.5 



Maturity. 



Males. — The condition of the testes was ascertained in 6 cases. None was 

 "spawning" or "ripe." The one taken in February 1912, on the north coast of 

 Scotland, west of Strathie Point, was " nearly ripe," as was also a male caught in 

 April 1912, in an unspecified locality, east of the Isle of May ; another male, taken 

 in December 1911, off Tod Head, was " three-quarters-ripe," and 1 caught in 

 June 1912, 43 miles to the north-east, was described as " half-ripe." 



Females. — The condition of the ovaries was determined in 13 of the 15 fish 

 recovered. 



Three were " spawning," or " partly spent," all got to the north and east, 

 1 off Noss Head, in the Moray Firth, in February 1912, another in March 1912, 

 near Buchanness, and the third 29 miles to the north and east, east of Fife Ness, 

 in February 1913, after 666 days. 



One female was said to be " ripe " ; it was caught in February 1913, after 

 668 days, 67 miles to the north and east, south-east of Aberdeen. 



A female, taken in August 1911, near Burntisland, was described as "half-ripe." 



Five females above the adult size when recaptured were described as 

 ■'immature." The position of capture of 1 taken in August 1911 was un- 

 known, other 2 were got in August 1913 and August 1914 respectively, to 

 the north-east, and 2 were recovered in February 1912, and thus in the spawning 

 season, both near Pittenweem, in the Firth of Forth, 1 measuring 34-40-6 cm., 

 and the other 35-38.4 cm. 



EXPERIMENT V. 



lUhJunei^n. 



« 



Only 50 plaice were marked in this experiment, 21 males and 29 females. The 

 males ranged in size from 28"5 cm. to 40 cm., and 9 of them were under the adult 

 size (33 cm.) ; the females ranged from 29 cm. to 47 cm., and 16 were under the 

 adult size (38 cm.). The numbers Uberated and recaptured, arranged in 5-cm. 

 groups, are as follows : — 



cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. 



•25-30-5 31-35-5 30-40-5 41-45-5 4G-.50-5 Total. 



F. Lib. ... 3 7 13 5 1 29 



F. Recap. . . 1 5 7 2 — 15 



M.Lib. ... 4 12 5 — — 21 



M. Recap. . . 3 6 3 _ _ 12 



The fish were trawled by the " Goldseeker " at Station VI., Firth of Forth 

 (" Fluke Hole "), on the same day as they were marked and Uberated. 



The number recaptured was 27, or 54 per cent., viz. 12 males (57*1 per cent.) 

 and 15 females (51-7 per cent.). Eleven of the males were of adult size on recapture, 

 their lengths varpng from 34*5 cm. to 44-1 cm., and averaging 38-5 cm., as com- 

 pared with a range of 30-5-40 cm., and an average of 33-8 cm., on liberation ; their 

 periods of freedom varied from 177 to 1002 days, the average being 431 days ; the 

 distances migrated were from 5 to 211 miles, the mean being 87-2 miles, and the 

 average rate of travel, 2-02 miles per 10 days. One male was under 33 cm., when 

 recaptured, and it had moved 15 miles n 136 days. 



Of the females, 11 were of adult size, viz. from 38-7 to 48-4 cm., with an average 

 of 42-7 cm., while the sizes on hberation were from 30-5 to 45 cm., the mean being 

 37*4 cm. ; they were at liberty for from 34 to 1250 days, the average being 43 days ; 



