Aberdeen Fishery Statistics. 25 



there are indications of a double maximum — in Iceland about March 

 or April and again in August, in Ai'ea XIII. in early summer and 

 again in late autunni ; but if we have here, as is probably the case, 

 some indication of a returning migration, our evidence is not yet 

 complete enough to let us follow it in detail. Returning now to the 

 curves (Figs. G-9), which show the consecutive monthly catches from 

 year to year, we find that in all the areas illustrated (X., XVIII., 

 XXIII., C), the line runs with almost monotonous regularity through 

 the years 1903 to 1911, but in all cases there is a very marked increase 

 in the catch of saithe in 1912 and 1913. The fact this fish is made 

 more use of, and that there is a better market for it nowadays than 

 formerly, is undoubted, and must not be forgotten ; it may well be that, 

 in consequence, considerable quantities of saithe are brought to 

 market which a few years ago would have been thrown overboard. 

 But all the same, this tendency to set gTcater store by the saithe is by 

 no means so recent as 1912, and has been growing gradually for a good 

 many years. The large catches indicated in 1912, and the still larger 

 that are shown in 1913, are, undoubtedly, in my opinion, indications of 

 a real state of exceptional abundance. 



Of the fiat-fishes, two, namely, the plaice and the witch, have been 

 considered in recent Reports. We found in the case of both of these, 

 and especially of the former, that there was ample evidence at hand 

 to show that they had decreased in abundance dming recent years. 

 Let us now consider the megrim and the lemon sole, in neither of which 

 have we the same proof of notable diminution. 



The Megrim. 



The megrim is a Northern fish, its headquarters with us being 

 in the areas around Orkney and Shetland. The largest catches 

 (Table IX.) are made in Area XIII., to the north of Orkney, and next 

 in order comes the Shetland area (X.) and the group of areas (XIV., 

 XVIII. , XIX.) to the south and south-east of Shetland. Though 

 an annvial migration of megrims certainly exists, its coiu-se is not easily 

 ascertained. It would seem that the season of maximal abundance in 

 the Western areas, C. and XIII., is (as it also is in Faeroe) about 

 December ; February or March is the time of greatest concentration 

 in the Shetland region and the areas south-east of Shetland. Farther 

 to the south (Area XXIII.) and also farther to the east (XIX.), the 

 maximum occurs in summer, about July, and in Ai-ea XVIII. there 

 is a secondary maximum, or returning migration, about this period. 



As it is only in a few areas that megrims are plentiful, so it is only 

 from these few that we have statistical material sufficient for the 

 drawing of our continuous curves (Figs. 10-13). 



As regards small megrims, we see that in Area X. (Fig. 10) they were 

 comparatively plentiful, much more so than for many years after- 

 wards, in 1903 and 1904 ; but there is again some evidence of retm-ning 

 plenty in 1913. In Area XIII. (Fig. 12), which may be said to be the 

 headquarters of the fish, we see considerable differences in abundance 

 from year to year ; but these fluctuations are irregular, and there is 

 no sign whatever of that steady and gradual diminution which appears 

 in the case of the plaice and of the witch. Much the same is true 



