SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 
I—TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS. By Dr. T. Wemyss Futon, 
F.R.S.E., Superintendent of Scientific Investigations. 
INTRODUCTORY. 
Last year the investigations into the conditions of the fishing grounds 
in the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay, by means of steam trawlers, 
whose services were obtained for the purpose without expense, were 
continued as in previous years as far as circumstances permitted, In the 
Moray Firth the more important areas were visited in February, 
September, October, and November, and the grounds in Aberdeen Bay 
were also examined in March. The grounds at Burghead Bay and in 
the neighbourhood on the south coast were most fully examined, but a 
number of hauls were also taken in the Dornoch Firth, off the Suters of 
Cromarty, and a few off the Caithness coast. 
On most occasions fish were found to be scarce, and the results of the 
voyages were not regarded as financially profitable by the owners, 
especially in the Moray Firth in September, October, and November, 
when the vessels working on the usual grounds in the North Sea were 
much more successful. Haddocks, in particular, were unusually scarce, 
only 19} cwts. being taken in the whole of the voyages together, and of 
these 12} cwts. were got in the February trip. In September the total 
quantity of haddocks amounted to only 5 cwts., and in November to 13 
ewts., while none at all were caught in Aberdeen Bay in March. The 
haddocks that were taken were mostly small, and in autumn large 
numbers of these small unmarketable haddocks were brought up in the 
trawl in the Moray Firth and thrown overboard. On one occasion close 
upon 4000 were taken in a single haul. Particulars in regard to these 
are given below, and in the Tables appended. The total quantity of fish 
of all kinds brought to market in the course of the variovs trips 
amounted to 3884 cwts., mostly consisting of plaice. 
With regard to the number of fishes taken, the aggregate for the 
completely recorded hauls was 71,982, of which 30,538 were marketable 
and 41,444 unmarketable, either because of their small size, or because 
they were not of edible kinds. The total number of plaice taken in these 
hauls was 29,958; the number of haddocks was 26,348, the greater 
proportion being too small to be marketable, and the number of cod was 
302. As showing the quantity of unmarketable fish in autumn as com- 
pared with spring (February) it may be said that while at the latter 
period 12,882 marketable fish were taken as against 3088 unmarketable, 
in autumn the number of unmarketable was 26,133, while the number of 
marketable was almost the same as in spring, viz., 12,756. 
One of the objects of these trawling investigations is to ascertain as 
far as possible the changes which occur in the abundance of the food and 
other fishes on the grounds in different seasons and years; but observa- 
tions are also made on the reproduction of the fishes, their spawning, 
B 
