184 Part III —Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
LocHFYNE. 
The small plaice taken in Lochfyne were obtained by the push-net on 
the beaches at low water, that is to say, in two or three feet of water at 
that period of the tide. Those dealt with here were got in July and 
August, 1901, and in June and July, 1903, the aggregate numbers being 
4751 fish. They were taken at several different places in the loch, as 
shown in Tables J.~III. (p. 243), most being got at Inveraray, Strachur, 
Big Harbour, and Salen. They all belonged to the same series, the fry 
of the year, and consideration of their measurements gives an indication 
of the rate of growth at this stage in Lochfyne, Taking first of all the 
catches in July and August, 1901, it will be seen from the Tables that 
the push-nettings in July, which were made between the Ist and 6th of 
the month, resulted in the capture of a total of 3529 small plaice. The 
sizes ranged from 12mm. to 58mm.,a difference of 46mm. The maximum 
numbers were ranged about 25cm. to.3cm., and the average length was 
computed to be 303mm. (Plate XII). 
The period in August when the collections were made was from the 
28th to the 31st. The numbers were smaller, viz., 556 fish. They 
ranged in size from 34mm. to 88mm., a difference of 54mm, The 
greater numbers were ranged about 50mm., or more than 20mm. higher 
than in July, and the average size was calculated to be 55:9mm., or an 
increase of 25°6mm. (as near as possible, 1 inch) in the period, which 
may be placed at 58 days from the middle of the one series of collections 
to the middle of the other (Plate XI1I.). 
It is noteworthy that in some of the collections, most noticeably in 
July, the plaice of one locality were sensibly larger than those of others, 
a fact that was pointed out at the time by Mr. Dannevig. Taking the 
four chief places at which collections were made in that month, the range 
and averages in millimetres are as follows :— 
Number of 
Wish. Smallest. Largest. Average. 
Inveraray, : : : 1,163 19 58 35°9 
Strachur, . : ; : 668° 16 51 28°9 
Big Harbour, . : F 822 12 51 27:0 
Silene les 806 Ve 51 26-1 
| TABLE. 
