20 Fishery Board for Scotland. 



were in the later stages of development. If the collections in these two 

 years from the deeper layers be compared there is a correlation in the 

 vertical distribution of the eggs, similar to that which has already been 

 noted for other localities, between the frequencies at the different depths 

 and stages of development. In March 1911, when none of the 42 eggs 

 examined were found in the initial stages of development, the greatest 

 frequencies were found from the mid-water layers and the bottom. 

 In March 1905, when over 20 per cent, of the 136 eggs captured showed 

 no trace of the embryo having passed beyond the initial stages of de- 

 velopment, the highest frequencies both in the cheese-cloth nets and 

 the Petersen Young Fish Trawl were found in the surface layers. 



Station 31. 



During the spawning season of 1904-1905 this locality was visited 

 in December, January, February, and March, and the frequencies of 

 the plaice eggs at the surface were 0, 16, 12, and 12 respectively. The 

 records of the stages of development of these eggs, although few in 

 number, throw more light on the matter under discussion. 



Sm'face Hauls — one half-hour's 



Developmental Stages. 

 December 

 January 

 February 

 March 



Without these details one might very naturally conclude that plaice 

 were spawning in the neighbourhood as early as January although the 

 spawning time in the locality is much later. It is clear that the fre- 

 quency of spawning plaice falls and the spawning time is later as we 

 pass in an easterly direction from the Dornoch Firth. 



Moray Firth Trawling Station XVI. 



The results obtained from this station are now much more readily 

 understood when compared with those from the localities lying nearer 

 to the Dornoch Firth. On 13th January 1905, 63 eggs were obtained 

 in the surface collections, and only 3 of these were newly spawned. 

 The other 60 eggs must have had their origin in an earlier spawning 

 area at some distance from the point at which they were found. On 

 10th February 1910, 1 egg in the " /3 " stage was taken in the surface haul, 

 and on 20th March 1908 the 12 eggs taken had all passed into the 

 later stages of development, but 2 eggs were got in the " a " stage in the 

 mid- water haul. 



Station 32. 



This station lies on the outer boundary of the Moray Firth area, 

 almost 57 miles east from Tarbet Ness. No plaice eggs were taken 

 here in the months of December or January, and from four visits in the 

 month of February in the years 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1910 respectively 

 only two plaice eggs were obtained. These two were in the " a " stage, 

 and were taken on the 7th February 1907. On 7th March 1911 two 

 eggs at the " y " stage represented the surface cheese-cloth collection 



