222 Part [11-—Twenty-fourth Annual Report 
On 13th June, in Aberdeen Bay, 31 specimens, computed to be about 
1 year and 23 months old, measured from 14:3cem. to 23cm, (53-9,), 
inches), the mean size being 18°5cm., or 7} inches. On the 28th, 19 
caught in the ‘“ Doghole,” in 65 fathoms, ranged from 19cm, to 26cm. 
(74-10} inches), the mean being 22cm., or 83 inches ; the arithmetically 
computed average was 21:9cm. 
In July two collections were made in Aberdeen Bay and one in the 
Firth of Forth. In the former, on the 30th, 43 measured from 16°7em. 
to 28cm. (63-11 inches), the average being 23cm., or 951, inches ; these 
were taken at the “ Doghole,” in “62 fathoms. On the next day, 32, 
caught in 11-13 fathoms, ranged from 16‘7em. to 27'9cm., or the same, 
the average length being a little less, viz., about 22°5cm., or 8% inches. 
On the 23rd the collection in the Firth of Forth comprised 77 speci- 
mens, about | year and 4 months old; they ranged from 15:2cm. to 
30 cm. (6-11? inches), the average being 22cm., or 83 inches. 
On 21st August, 85, from the “ Doghole,” in 58 fathoms, were from 
18-7cm. to 32°3cm. (73-1232 inches), the average being about 23°5cm., or 
94 inches. Their age was about | year and 4 or 5 months, In the Firth 
of Forth they were represented in three collections in August, as 
follows :—On the 19th, 93 varied from 14°8cm. to 31l-6em. (513-1254 
inches), the average being 22°5cm., or 83 inches; on the 21st, 19 ranged 
from 18°8 to 29:2cm. (73-114 inches), the average being 23°5cm., or 94 
inches; on the 22nd, 47 measured from 16:8cm. to 29°7em. (63-117 
inches), the average being 22-5cm., or 83 inches (fig. 5, pl. XIT.). 
In September, in Aberdeen Bay, 167 were caught between the 3rd and 
19th ; they ranged in length from 18‘lem. to 32cm, (73-123 inches), the 
average being about 25cm., or 9% inches. At Burghead Bay, on 7th 
September, 34 ranged from 20'7em. to 32:3cm. (84-1911 inches), the 
mean size being about 26cm., or 104 caelee (fig. 6, pl. XII.). These 
fish were one year and five or six months old. 
Several collections were got in October. In Aberdeen Bay, on the 
18th, 37 measured from 22'2cm. to 35°8cm. (87-14% inches), the mean 
being 28°5cm., or 11} inches, On the 31st, 13 ranged from 22-7cm. to 
36cm. (813- 14 #; inches), the mean being about 29cm., or 115% inches. 
The numbers of this series in the October collections from the 1 Moray 
Firth are small. In the Dornoch Firth, on the 22nd, two measured 
21:9cm. and 3lem.; at Smith Bank, on the 23rd, six ranged from 
23°2cem. to 39'6cm. (92 -154 inches; in Burghead Bay, on the 20th, 15 
measured from 20° 9cm. to 29'4cem. (84-114 inches) ; and on the 23rd, 
off Lybster, on the coast of Caithness, three were from 24'8cm. to 
32°4cm. 
On 5th November, at the “ Doghole,” in 70 fathoms, 20 of this series 
were obtained ; they ranged from 26°7cm. to 35°9cm. 104-143 inches), 
the mean being about 30° 5em., or 12 inches. On the 28th, 43, taken ~ 
with the ordinary trawl-net in Aberdeen Bay, measured from 23° Sem. to 
38-lcem, (93-15 inches), the mean being about 32cm., or 123 inches. On 
the following day a collection of 135 belonging to this series asthe | from 
21-8em. to 38 3em. (83-154, inches), the mean being 3lem., or 124 
inches. These were about 1 year and 8 months old. 
In the Dornoch Firth, on the 9th and 10th, 113 measured from 20°7em. 
to a 7om. (83-1455 inches), the average length being about 27:‘5em., or 
1143 inches (ie. a pl. XII). At Smith Bank, on the 8th, 42 ranged 
from 25-9em. to 40-lem, (10,152? inches), the mean being 31-5em., or 
122 inches. Off Lybster, on the 8th, 114 measured suai! 26°8cm. to 
37 Sdn » (103 -143 inches), the average ‘being 32cm., or 123 inches. 
In December, in Aberdeen Bay, 70 measured from 23cm, to 41: 8cm. 
