Distribution of Plaice Eggs — Moray Firth. 33 



begins before February. It has to be noted that no plaice eggs were 

 obtained in the later stages of development in March, although spawn- 

 ing had already begun in February. 



Dr. Fulton (1913), in a study of the seasonal distribution of adult 

 plaice, concludes that in this area (Statistical Area XIII.) there is an 

 accumulation of fish during the months of spawning and a diminished 

 abundance in the latter part of the year. The conclusions from the 

 occm'rence of plaice eggs in the plankton in the first quarter of the year 

 are either that the west side of Orkney is the earlier spawning locality 

 or that there are fewer adult plaice on the east side at this period. 



IV. Fair Isle and Neighbourhood. 



Stations 4 (59° 26' N. ; 1° 20' W.) and 5 (59° 40' N." ; 1° 14' W.), 

 which lie close to Fair Isle, have been visited frequently within the 

 period under observation, but on no occasion were plaice eggs found in 

 large numbers. 



At Station 4 no plaice eggs were obtained in the month of January 

 or in February of 1907 and of 1909 ; neither were any taken in March 

 of three different years. Only on 22nd February 1905 were two plaice 

 eggs in the " a " stage of development got in the surface haul. 



Plaice eggs were taken in gTeater numbers at Station 5, although on 

 two occasions in March, namely, on 25th March 1910 and 15th March 

 1913, experiments made in the difterent water layers gave negative 

 results. Cm'iously enough, however, each of the fom* visits in February 

 yielded positive results. On 2nd February 1906 and 17th February 

 1909 few, all newly spawned eggs, were found, but on 22nd February 

 only 18 of the 36 eggs captured were in the " a " stage of development. 



Again, on 12th March 1908 all of the 53 eggs captured at this station 

 had passed through the initial stages of development. 



Thus the records of these two stations do not indicate that plaice 

 spawn in numbers in the vicinity of Fair Isle in the first quarter of the 

 year. 



Station 22 (59° 36' N. ; 0° 41' W.). 



This is rather an exceptional station, which has yielded negative 

 results on all the occasions on which it has been visited in February 

 and March, except on 22nd February 1905. On this date ten eggs 

 were got in the sm'face net, and fom" of these were in the " a " stage of 

 development. It should be noted, however, that in February 1905 

 plaice eggs were best represented at Stations 4 and 5, which lie to the 

 west of this position. Station 22 is the most easterly point at which 

 plaice eggs in the initial stages of development have been taken, for 

 notwithstanding repeated visits to Station 23 (59° 31' N. ; 0° 37' W.) 

 no records have ever been found by the " Goldseeker." The statistical 

 records of the large plaice show that the adults are caught in relatively 

 small numbers, and mainly in the summer months, in this area 

 (Statistical Area XIV). 



Thus the area cannot be considered an important spawning ground 

 for plaice in the first quarter of the year. The exceptional appearance 

 of plaice eggs as far east as Station 22 may be due to the strong tides 

 which are prevalent in this locality. 



