of the Fishery Bourd for Scotland. 29 
the February and September hauls in regard to the numbers of small 
unmarketable fishes may be contrasted by comparing the numbers taken 
per hour’s fishing, as follows :— 
Marketable. Unmarketable. Total. 
February 181 67 248 
September 284-4 hols L076°3 
The proportion of small plaice and especially small haddocks, differed 
very much, as the following figures of the numbers taken on each occasion 
per hour’s fishing show. 
HADDOCK. | PLAICE, 
Market- | Unmarket-| , Market- | Unmarket- 
able. able. | HBS able. able. Tpfal: 
February, -| 0:23 0-11 0°34 | 140-4 43°5 184 
September, - 16°6 | 419°6 | 436-2 | 259:3 313°7 573 
The circumstances show to what an extent the capture of immature 
specimens of these fishes may take place at some seasons in bays by the 
use of the trawl-net. All the young haddocks taken in this way 
probably perish, and there is no doubt that the great majority of the 
young plaice perish likewise, although, apart from previous experiments 
recorded on the point, there are reasons for supposing that under 
favourable conditions a considerable number may survive. Thus, in 
February, Dr. Williamson observed that some of the small plaice which 
had been lying all night in a basket along with a number of other small 
fish taken in the small-mesHed uet were alive at 10.30 next morning. 
When placed in a bucket of sea water they swam about freely. 
After leaving the Dornoch Firth, a haul, which lasted two hours and 
twenty minutes, was made outside the entrance to Cromarty Firth, the 
depth being about twelve fathoms. The catch was a small one, consisting 
of 479 fishes, of which 182 were marketable and 297 unmarketable. 
Haddocks were present in greatest abundance, 395 being taken, of which 
141 were marketable and 254 unmarketable. The other round-fishes 
comprised 2 cod, 7 codling, 2 small whiting, and 4 gurnards. The number 
of plaice was 61, of which 35 were marketable and 26 unmarketable ; the 
only other flat-fish represented was the common dab, of which there 
were 6, 
Burghead Bay was then visited and a number of hauls taken in depths 
rangiug from about 5 to 15 fathoms. In the first, in from 5 to 12 
fathoms, which lasted for four hours and thirty-five minutes, 3901 fishes 
were secured, 1479 being marketable and 2422 unmarketable. Plaice 
and haddocks formed the bulk of the catch. Of the former the number 
obtained was 1460, of which 1194 were marketable and 266 unmarketable 
—a proportion contrasting with the condition in the Dornoch Firth. 
Small haddocks were, however, very numerous, for of a total of 1334 
haddocks caught only 29 were marketable, the remaining 1305 being too 
small to be taken to market. The catch included among round-fishes 1 
