196 



33-5 cm. on liberation, but the size on recapture and the condition of the testes were 

 not recorded ; another male, of 35-35-6 cm., and " nearly ripe," was caught in the 

 Moray- Firth, near Banff, at a distance of 77 miles ; and the third was recovered 

 114 miles to the south and west, 8 miles E. i S. of Tynemouth ; it measured 35-35 

 cm., and was described as " mature." 



Three males and 4 females were taken in February, all but 1 of the females 

 to the north and west. Four were taken in the Moray Firth, 2, a male and a female, 

 at nearly the same place, close to Clyth Ness, at a distance of 106 and 106^ miles ; 

 the male measured 38-5-40-3 cm., and was " spawning " (" partly spent "), and 

 the female measured 50' 5-50-2 cm., fiid was " about ripe " ; a male was taken ofE 

 Banff, at a distance of 77 miles, measuiing 34-5-34-8 cm., and being described as 

 " ripe " ; the fourth, a male, of 32-33-2 cm., and " ripe," was got off Tarbet Ness, 

 at 100 miles distant ; a female, measuring 33-5-36-5 cm., and " immature," was 

 recovered 11 miles to the north and west ; and another female, of 30-32-9 cm., was 

 taken in St. Andrew's Bay, at a distance of 63 miles ; the last female, which 

 measured 46-46-5 cm., and was " almost ripe," was caught 8 miles to the north 

 and west. 



Three males were recaptured in March, 1, of 34-36-8 cm., but of unknown 

 maturity, 35 miles E. h N. of Flamborough Head, at a distance of 172 miles to the 

 south and east ; another, of 34-36-4 cm., and " immature," only 5 miles to the north 

 and west, and the third, in the Moray Firth, north-east of Tarbet Ness, at a dis- 

 tance of 108 miles; it measured 39-5-40-2 cm., and was "spawning" ("partly 

 spent "). 



In this quarter, 14 of the marked plaice, or 22-6 per cent., were recaptured, 

 9 (64-3 per cent.) to the north and west, at an average distance of 66 miles in the 

 mean direction N. 16° W. ; 3 at an average distance of 81 miles in the mean 

 direction S. 54° W. ; 1 to the south ; and 1 to the south and east. The migra- 

 tion lines on the chart show a great difference, 6 passing northwards to the Moray 

 Firth, 3 to the southwards, and 2 south and west, to the Firth of Forth and St. 

 Andrew's Bay. 



Fourth Quarter. — Three females and a male were taken in April, the male in 

 Aberdeen Bay, 35 miles to the north and west, one of the females 7 miles to the 

 south and east, another 15 miles to the south and west, while the third had migrated 

 to near EUe, in the Firth of Forth, a distance of 70 miles. All these fish were 

 "immature." 



In May, 3 females and a male were recaptured, the male at the entrance to the 

 Moray Firth, off Noss Head, at a distance of 104 miles ; it was " spent." One of 

 the females was taken 32 miles to the north and west, " spent " ; another, 34 miles 

 to the north and east ; and the third 39 miles to the south and west, offshore, to the 

 east of the Isle of May. 



A female was caught in June, 16 miles to the south and west. 



In this quarter, 9 of the marked plaice, or 14-5 per cent., were recovered ; 4 (44-4 

 per cent.) to the south and west (mean direction, S. 67° W.) ; 3 to the north and west, 

 and 1 each to the north-east and the south-east. 



In the year after hberation, 46, or 74-2 per cent., were recovered, 20 (43-5 per 

 cent.) to the south and west ; 17 (36-9 per cent.) to the north and west ; 5 to the 

 south and east ; 2 to the north and east ; 1 west and 1 south. 



The following table gives a summary of these particulars : — 



[Table. 



