32 Fishery Board for Scotland. 



On 22nd February 1905, however, 10 plaice eggs were taken in a 

 surface haul, of which 8 were in the "a" stage. On 12th February 

 1907, 2 only of the 42 eggs captured in the different water layers were 

 newly spawned, and in 25th March 1910 the 16 eggs taken were in the 

 " a" stage of development. 



These positive records show that although plaice spawn in the near 

 neighbourhood they are few in number ; otherwise the maximum spawn- 

 ing period is very late. But Station 2 is close to the boundary line 

 which marks the extreme limit of distribution of the adult plaice. 



III. Stations in the Neighbourhood of Orkney. 



Although observations from this area are confined mainly to the 

 month of March, the results are of significance when compared with 

 those from the Moray Firth area lying immediately to the south. 

 At the Pentland Skerries on 12th March 1908 observations were made 

 with cheese-cloth nets, and in addition a series of six hauls was taken 

 with the Petersen Young Fish Trawl. The total of 16 eggs ob- 

 tained in all these hauls indicates the low frequency of plaice eggs in 

 this locality in the first half of March. Again, on 16th March 1908, 

 the young fish trawl was operated for ten hours at the surface in the 

 Pentland Firth when only 72 plaice eggs were collected. The frequencies 

 and degree of development of the eggs from these two positions agree 

 very closely. 



Observations were made somewhat further to the west at Dunnet 

 Head on 8th March 1913, and 46 eggs were taken in surface, mid-water, 

 and bottom cheese-cloth tow-nets. The frequency of the eggs was 

 therefore considerably higher here, and a greater percentage of them 

 were in the earlier stages of development. Although the observations 

 were made in different years there is an indication here that spawning 

 plaice are perhaps more numerous to the westward on the North Coast 

 of Scotland at this time of the year. 



On 8th March 1913 twelve plaice eggs in the " a " stage of develop- 

 ment were captured from the different water layers at Auskerry Light, 

 W./N. I N. 6 miles. None were got in the later stages of development 

 at this locality on that date. 



Station 3 (59° 10' N. ; 1° 27' W.). 



This station is situated about 35 miles east of Auskerry Light, close 

 to the 100 metre line. No plaice eggs were found in the plankton of this 

 locality at any time in January. Though none were found on 17th 

 February 1909, on 2nd February 1905 two freshly spawned plaice eggs 

 were captured at the surface, and again on 13th February 1907, six 

 in the early stages were taken at the surface, but none in the lower 

 water layers. 



On 12th March 1908 three newly spawned eggs were taken in a 

 vertical haul, and on 23rd March 1910 the four eggs captured were in 

 the bottom tow-net and in the initial stages of development. 



Thus eggs taken on this station were always few in number, and all 

 in the initial stages of development. We have already seen that similar 

 results obtain nearer the East Coast of Orkney. The conclusion seems 

 to be that in this large area to the east of Orkney plaice spawn in very 

 small numbers in the first quarter of the year, and that spawning seldom 



