72 



but whose size on recovery was not recorded, after 232 days, off the Isle of May, at a 

 distance of 17 miles to the south and east. 



None was taken in January 1913, so that the total for this quarter was 5 fishes, 

 or 8" 9 per cent. 



Fourth Quarter. — Nine of the marked plaice were taken in February 1913, 8 

 males and 1 female. Three of them were got in the Firth of Forth, viz. a female, 

 of 39-41-4 cm., and "immature," off Largo, after 278 days ; a male, of 28-32-5 

 cm., " rather immature," after 288 days, off Wemyss, at a distance of 9 miles ; and 

 a male, of 33-5-35-9 cm., and '' immature/' after 289 days, off Leven, at a distance of 

 6i miles. Two males, of 27-5-31-6 cm., and 38-39-1 cm., were taken near together, 

 after 286 days, at 25J miles and 26 miles distant, to the east of the Isle of May ; 

 the larger fish was " ripe," and the smaller " immature." Another male, of 34-38-1 

 cm., and " spawning " (" partly spent "), was caught, after 275 days, north and east 

 of the Isle of May, at a distance of 17 miles. The other 3 inales were taken off 

 Aberdeen, 1, of 30-5-33-4 cm., at a distance of 61| miles, after 294 days ; the other 

 2, measuring 30-33 cms., and 32-5-35 cm., were caught, after 278 days and 281 days, 

 at Aberdeen Bank, at distances of 75 and 76 miles ; the former was " spawning " 

 (" partly spent ") and the latter " ripe." 



Three were caught in March 1913, 2, a male, of 28-33-4 cm., and a female, of 

 29-32-5 cm., off St. Monans, in the Firth of Forth, at distances of 5 and 4| miles, 

 after 321 days and 296 days ; both were " immature " ; the third fish was a male, 

 of 35-5-39-4 cm., and " ripe," which was caught, after 313 days, off the mouth of the 

 Tay. at a distance of 22 1 miles. 



Three males were recaptured in April 1913, all in the Firth of Forth, and all 

 " immature " ; 2, of 27-32-5 cm., and 28-33-8 cm., were got, after 330 and 333 days, 

 off Pittenweem, at distances of 5 and 4| miles ; the third, measuring 28-33-8 cm., 

 was found, after 346 days, more to the west, off Buclchaven, at a distance of 84^ 

 miles. 



In this quarter, which embraces the spawning period, or most of it, 15 marked 

 plaice, or 26-8 per cent., were recaptured, of which 8 were taken in the Firth of 

 Forth. 



Thus, in the 12 months after hberation, 32 of the marked fish, or 57-1 per cent., 

 were recaptured, 13 within the Firth of Forth. 



Of the other fish recaptured, 7 were taken in the remaining part of 1913, 15 in 

 1914 and 2 in 1915. 



In May 1913, 2 males were taken, far to the northwards, 1, measuring 33-5-35-9 

 cm., and described as " immature," near Buchanness, after 381 days, at a distance 

 of 88 iniles, and the other, of 31-5-35-3 cm., and "spent," after 359 days, to the 

 east of the Orkney Isles. A female, measuring 43-47-4 cm., and "spent," was 

 taken in July, after 418 days, to the east of the Bass Rock, at a distance of 15|- miles. 

 Two females were recaptured in September ; 1, of 53-5 cm. on liberation, but of 

 unknown size on recapture, after 495 days, to the east of the Isle of May, at a 

 distance of 36 miles, and the other, of 38*5-44-1 cm., and described as " about half- 

 ripe," after 482 days, to the south-east of Aberdeen, at a distance of 57 miles. A 

 male, of 37-40-2 cm., was taken in October, after 515 days, to the north-east of the 

 Isle of May, at a distance of 22| miles ; and, in December, another male, measuring 

 38-41 cm., was caught, after 594 days, 12 miles E.N.E. of North Shields, at a 

 distance of > 6 miles, to the south and east. 



In January 1914, 6 of the marked plaice were recaptured, 3 males and 3 females. 

 One of the males, measuring 33-39-8 cm., and "nearly ripe," was caught, after 

 625 days, '.' miles to the west of the Isle of May, and thus within the limits of the 

 Firth of Forth, at a distance of 6| miles ; another, of 42-42-4 cm., and also " nearly 

 ripe," was caught, after 610 days, 23 miles to the north and east. A female, of 

 42-5-49-2 cm., and " ripe," was taken, after 616 days, north of St. Abb's Head, at a 

 distance of 25| miles to the south and east. The other 3 fish had migrated con- 

 siderable distances to the north and east ; a male, of 30-37*4 cm., and " ripe," was 

 taken, after 617 days, near Aberdeen Bank, at a distance of 66 miles ; a female, of 

 31-37-3 cm., and described as " not ripe," was recaptured, after 621 days, far off- 

 shore, to the east of Aberdeen, at a distance of 88 miles ; and another female, 

 measuring 36-41 cm., and "fully half -ripe," was caught, after 623 days, in the 

 M.'ray Firth, H miles off Whitehills, Banff, at a distance of 136 miles. 



