133 



8 to the north and west, and 1 to the north and east. Thirteen were females (17-6 

 per cent.), which had travelled also an average distance of 15 miles ; 2 were taken 

 to the south and west, 9 to the north and west, 1 directly west, and 1 nortli and 

 east. 



Thus, at distances not exceeding 20 miles, 47 plaice were recaptured, or 37-3 

 per cent, of the whole, namely, 19 males and 28 females. 



20 to 50 miles. — Thirty-four of the fish (27 per cent.) were got between 20 and 50 

 miles from the station. Of these, 16 (30-8 per cent.) were males, which had migrated 

 for an average distance of 36'3 miles ; 5 were taken to the north-west, 3 of them 

 within the Firth of Forth, and 11 to the north and east. Eighteen were females 

 l21-3 per cent.), and they had moved an average distance of 35-7 miles ; 1 was 

 found to the south-west, 4 to the north-west — these 5 fish were taken in the Firth 

 of Forth. The remaining 13 had moved to the north-east, and were recaptured 

 chiefly ofE the Aberdeenshire coast. 



50 to 100 mi7es.— Twenty-one of the recaptured plaice (16"7 per cent.) had moved 

 distances of from 52 to 97 miles. Eight (l5-4 per cent.) were males, the average 

 journey being 64 miles, all to the north-east, the fish being mainly taken off the 

 coast of Aberdeen. Thirteen (17"6 per cent.) were females, the mean distance 

 travelled in this case being 69 miles. One was got 97 miles to the south and east, 

 and all the others to the north-east, off the coast of Aberdeen. 



Over 100 miles. — No fewer than 24 fish (19 per cent.) went distances of over 100 

 miles, viz. from 112 to 239| miles. Nine of these (17-3 per cent.) were males, 

 which had moved an average distance of 152 miles. Eight of these were recap- 

 tured in the Moray Firth, and one off Cape Wrath. Fifteen (20-3 per cent.) were 

 females, which had migrated a mean distance of 135 miles, 2 to the south and 

 east, for 176 and 191 miles respectively, all the others to the north-east, 12 being 

 recaptured in the Moray Firth, and 1 near the Pent land Firth. 



Maturity. 



Males. — The condition of the reproductive organs was ascertained in 42 of the 

 51 adult males taken. 



Four were " spawning " ; 1, measuring 36-5-35-9 cm., caught on 8th March 

 1913, 157 miles northwards, in the Moray Firth ; a second, measuring 35'5-35'5 

 cm., on 13th February 1913, 54 miles to the north-east, ofi the coast of Aberdeen ; 

 the third, of 36-387 cm., on 25th February 1914, after 446 days, 16 miles north and 

 east ; and the fourth, measuring 43-43-3 cm., on the 18th February 1913, 49 miles 

 to the north and east. 



Four were " ripe," 1, of 35-5-35-5 cm., captured on 11th February 1913, 28 miles 

 north and west, off St. Andrews Bay, and 3 to the north-east, at distances of from 

 IJ to 44 miles, in April 1913, April 1914, and August 1913. One of these, a large 

 fish, measuring 42'5-44"6 cm., was recaptured only a mile and a half from the 

 station, after 481 days. 



Seven were " nearly ripe " ; 3 of these were taken to the north-east, at dis- 

 tances of 46, 65, and 114 miles, the last-named being got in the Moray Firth in 

 January 1914 ; 3 were taken to the north-west, all near the Bell Kock, at 17, 6, and 

 16 miles ; the remaining fish was recaptured 5 miles to the south-east in December 

 1912. 



Two were described as " spent," 1, of 38-37-8 cm., caught in March 1913, after- 

 99 days, 150 miles to the northwards, in the Moray Firth ; the other, of 38-5-39-9 

 cm., in May 1913, off the coast of Aberdeen, at a distance of 69 miles. 



Two, both caught in October, were described as " half -ripe " ; 1 had moved 4 

 miles directly west, and the other 49 miles to the north and east, after 670 days. 



The remainder of the fish were " immature " ; 5 were taken in July, 5 in August, 

 4 in September, 3 in January, 1 each in March, April, May, and October, and 2 in 

 June. Eight were found to the north and east, at distances of from 25 to 71 miles, 

 after intervals of from 45 to 637 days. Two of these were taken within the limits 

 of the spawning season, 1, of 39-38-9 cm., on 20th January 1913, ofi Aberdeen, 42 

 miles distant ; the other, measuring 35-5-35-8 cm., on 12th May 1913, also off 

 Aberdeen, at a distance of 55 miles. Eight were recaptured to the north and west, 

 at distances of from 11 to 32 miles; 1, measuring 33-5-36-6 cm., caught in August 



