Distribution of Plaice Eggs — Smith Banl\ 31 



Although mature plaice are present on Smith Bank during the 

 early months of the year it does not necessarily follow that they 

 spawn in large numbers in tlie immediate vicinity, for, as has been 

 shown, most of the eggs obtained over the "Bank" are well 

 advanced in development. The present investigation, though by 

 no means final, seems rather to point to the conclusion that these 

 mature plaice, when ready to spawn, migrate towards the coast at 

 Noss Head. 



II. Stations on the Outer Limit op the Moray Firth Area. 



Stations 26, 33, 34, and 24 are situated outside the Moray Firth 

 area either adjacent to or outside the 100 metre contour line of depth. 

 The conditions at Stations 33 and 34 have already been considered in 

 their relation to the line of stations which stretches eastwards from 

 Tarbet Ness. 



Station 26 (58° 09' N. ; 1° 50' W.). 



This station lying between Kinnaird Head and Station 32, but 

 nearer to Station 32, has yielded some striking results. No plaice eggs 

 were found in the plankton on the two occasions on which this locality 

 was visited in January, Observations on 21st February 1905 and on 

 12th February 1907 both yielded positive results. In February 1905 the 

 12 eggs taken in the surface net were in the " a " stage, and in February 

 1907, 43 of the 45 eggs captm-ed in the different water layers were also 

 newly spawned. Thus these observations are quite different to those 

 made in the corresponding period of the year at Station 32, a few miles 

 to the north. The newly spawned eggs are the first to appear in the 

 plankton in the vicinity of Station 26. Again, on 24th March 1910, 

 25 eggs were taken in the different water layers, all of which were newly 

 spawned. There is no doubt therefore that a few plaice spawn close 

 to this area in February and March, and as no eggs were taken in January 

 the beginning of the spawning period is later than at the inner stations 

 in the Moray Firth. 



On 11th March 1908 two eggs in which the embryo was just ready 

 to hatch were captured in the bottom tow- nets. These eggs may 

 belong to the vicinity, but they are more probably derived from the 

 same earlier spawning areas as those which appear at Stations 32, 33, 

 and 34. 



The probable explanation of the anomalous records from this 

 locality is the proximity of a few shallow banks of limited extent. 

 These shallows are known to trawling masters as Boseys Bank. 



Notwithstanding repeated visits to localities east of the Moray 

 Firth area, no plaice eggs have been taken over the deep water in the 

 plankton before April. 



Station 2 (58° 36" N. ; 1° 46' W.). 



Station 2 is situated outside the north-eastern border of the Moray 

 Firth, near the 100 metre line. Observations made in the different 

 months are very variable. No plaice eggs were found in the locality 

 before the month of February, nor were any found on 17th Februarv 

 1909 or on 11th March 1908. 



