206 Part II1—Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
The smallest one was got on 19th June in St. Cyrus Bay ; it measured 
1; inches, or about 3cm., and belonged no doubt to the brood of the year. 
The next smallest were 4 inches, or about 10cm., and brill of this size 
were procured on 8th and 12th May, and doubtless represent the fish of 
the previous year, and would therefore be about one year old. At 43 
inches (114mm.) four were taken, two on 4th and 5th May, and two on 
5th aud 6th June. The next size was five inches (127mm.), of which six 
were taken—four in May, one in June, and one in July (8th). At 6 
inches (152mm.) there were eleven, six of which were obtained in May, 
four in June, and one in July. The largest brill secured was 114 inches, 
in May. 
Looking down the column for May, the place where the first striking 
interval occurs is between 8 inches and 8? inches, or about 20cm. to 
22cm. ; but it is pretty certain that fish of this length, or even of 7? 
inches (19°5cm.) do not belong to the same series, which, as we saw, has 
individuals measuring as low as 74mm. in May. 
The nature of the net by which the brill were taken must be borne in 
mind, practically all the very small fish and many of those of the sizes 
included in the Table no doubt escaping. It seems to me, considering the 
Table, the rate of growth of other flat-fishes, the much greater increase in 
weight or volume in the case of the brill than with the plaice, dab, &c., 
that the one-year-old group is represented in May by those at 4 inches 
(10:2cm.) and probably at 43 inches (11‘5cm.); that those from 5 to 7 
inches (12°7em. to 17‘8cm.), or perhaps to 73 inches (19'0cm.) are two 
years of age ; those from 8 to 94 inches (20cm. to 24cm.)—and the group 
is obviously only partially present—are three years of age; while the 
brill at 117 inches (28°5cm.) is probably four years old. 
It seems to me likely that the range of size of the one-year-old brill is 
from about 70mm. to about 115mm. (2? to 43 inches), or perhaps a little 
less, with an average size of about 90mm. to 95mm. (34 to 32 inches). 
Attention may now be given to the catches made on board trawlers in 
the Moray Firth, the particulars in regard to which are given in Table 
XVIII. These hauls were limited to November, December, and February, 
and the collection in the latter month was a small one. In none of the 
cases were the sexes separated, the fish being too valuable to be opened 
for the purpose, and the collections under the various dates represent a 
series of hauls, all the brill taken having been measured. Some groups 
come out with distinctness, and the measurements may be grouped here 
in centimetres. 
|TABLE. 
