I 



63 



In April, a male and a female were recaptured, both in the Moray Firth. The 

 male, which measured 36 cm. on liberation, but whose size on recapture and the 

 condition of the testes were not recorded, was caught, after 393 days, off Noss 

 Head, at a distance of 156 miles ; the female, of 41-44-2 cm., and " spawning," was 

 recaptured, after 392 days, off Tarbet Ness, at a distance of 174 miles ; the mean 

 rates of movement in these cases were respectively 3*9 and 4"43 miles per 10 days. 



In May, 3 females and 1 male were recaptured, the male, after 433 days, E.N.E. 

 of May Isle, at a distance of 35 miles ; it measured 38-5-43'8 cm., and was "spent." 

 The females were taken in the vicinity of Buchauness, after intervals of 435, 442, 

 and 444 davs, at distances of 77, 90, and 99 miles ; they measured respectivelv 

 36-42-6 cml, and "immature," 33-39-7 cm., and "spent," and 40-45-6 cm., the 

 condition of the ovaries not being recorded for this last-named fish. 



Two females were got in June. One, measuring 36-41-2 cm., and " im- 

 mature," was caught, after 463 days, near the Bell Rock, at a distance of 26 miles ; 

 the other, which measured 39-5-45 cm., was recaptured, after 471 days, close to Noss 

 Head, n the Moray Firth, at a distance of 171 miles, its state of maturity not being 

 recorded. 



A male and a female were recaptured in July ; the male was caught in the 

 Moray Firth, but the precise locality was not stated, while the female, which 

 measured 30-38-3 cm., and was " immature," was taken, after 489 days, to the east 

 of the Bass Rock, at a distance of 15 miles. 



In August, a female, which measured 44-48-2 cm., was taken, after 532 days, 

 offshore, to the south-east of Buchanness, at a distance of 101 miles. 



In September, a male, of 36-42-4 cm., was recaptured, after 562 days, to the east 

 of Cl^-ih Ness, in the Moray Firth, at a distance of 150 miles. 



Another male was taken in October, after 579 days, to the east of the Isle of 

 May, at a distance of 23 miles ; it measured 33-5-40-2 cm. 



A female was caught in November, after 618 days, near Buchanness, at a distance 

 of 80 miles ; it measured 39-46-4 cm., and was " three-quarters ripe." 



The last fish to be taken in 1913 was a male, of 31-5-39-9. cm., and " nearly 

 ripe " ; it was recaptured in December, after 659 days, in the neighbourhood of the 

 Bell Rock, at a distance of 18 miles. 



Eight of the marked plaice were taken in 1914. A female was taken in February 

 after 721 days, in the Moray Firth, in an unspecified position ; it measured 36-44 

 cm., and the condition of the ovaries was not recorded. 



Three females and 1 male were recaptured in March. One of the females, 

 which measured 37-5-48-7 cm., and was " spent," was taken, after 751 days, to the 

 east of the Isle of May, at a distance of 33 miles ; another female, of 31-37-8 cm., 

 and said to be "spent," was caught, after 748 days, at Aberdeen Bank, at a distance 

 of 76 miles ; the third female, of 39-45-5 cm., and " spawning," was taken, after 

 728 days, off Whitehills, Banff, in the Moray Firth, at a distance of 137 miles ; the 

 male, which measured 30-5-36-4 cm., and was "spawning," was captured to the 

 south-east of Aberdeen, at a distance of 58 miles. 



In April, a female, of 37-45-2 cm., and " spent," was taken at the same place as 

 the last, at a distance of 58 miles, after 776 days ; another female, of 39-5-43 cm., 

 and described as " immature," was recovered, after 822 days, to the east of the 

 Isle of May, at a distance of 45 miles. 



In November, a female, of 41*5-54-1 cm., and "three quarters ripe," was re- 

 captured, after 982 days, near Aberdeen, at a distance of 69 miles. 



The last fish of the experiment to be recaptured was got in March 1915, after 

 1120 days, to the east of the Isle of May, at a distance of 25 miles ; its size on libera- 

 tion was 33-5 cm., but neither its size on recapture nor the condition of the ovaries 

 was recorded. 



Of the 66 fish taken, 14, or 21-2 per cent., were got in the Firth of Forth, namely, 

 2 males (9-5 per cent.) and twelve females (26-7 per cent.) ; 52, or 78-8 per cent., 

 were got outside the Firth, 90-5 per cent, of the males and 73-3 per cent, of the 

 females. Seven, or 10-6 per cent., were recaptured in the Moray Firth, and 4, or 

 6-1 per cent., all males, were taken still farther to the north. 



Distances travelled. — Eleven fish, or 17-2 per cent., were recaptured at distances 

 of from 2^ to 8^ miles, namely, 2 males (10 per cent.), with an average of 5-5 miles, 

 and 9 females (20-4 per cent.), with an average of 4-9 miles. They were all taken in 



