30 



Part III. — Tiventy-Ji/th Annual Report 



being taken there In nearly all cases they have been discriminated and 

 deducted ; in a few instances there is some doubt ; but here also the 

 figures substantially represent herrings taken from the waters of the 

 Clyde. 



It has not, however, been possible to subtract the herrings taken in 

 the Solway from the totals for the Ballantrae district, the particulars 

 being usuall-/ insufiicient to allow that to be done. The figures for this 

 district thus include a certain quantity of herrings which were caught 

 outwith the Clyde. The amount of this quantity and its proportion to 

 the whole may oe estimated from the particulars which are given for 

 certain years, which are taken at random from the books. Two groups of 

 five years each were taken, and the quantities of herrings (in crans) 

 landed in the district and outside the limits of the Clyde separated as 

 follows : — 



Thus, in the years 1883-1887, of a gross quantity of 85,540 crans of 

 herrings landed in the Ballantrae district, 1931 crans, or 2*2 per cent, 

 were landed at creeks and villages outwith the Clyde ; in the years 

 1897-1901, of a gross quantity of 22,057 crans landed, 398 crans, or 1*8 

 per cent., were landed outwith the Clyde. The percentage for the ten 

 years is 2*1, which is small; but the variation, as shown in the table, 

 ranges from 0"3 per cent, to 14"5 per cent., an amount which requires to 

 be taken into account in considering the fluctuations in the district, but 

 which can have but little influence on the figures for the Clyde as a 

 whole. The herrings from the non-Clyde creeks, it may be added (Port- 

 patrick, Portlogan, Drummore, Sandhead^ Glenluce), are caught in summer, 

 and mostly in June and July. 



Besides this, it would be of importance if the locality where the bulk 

 of the fish were caught, or where the fishing was mainly prosecuted, in 

 eacii week were always given. In Inveraray district, for example, it is of 

 value to learn whether the hp-rrings were taken for the most part in the 

 upper loch or in the lower loch at any particular period. In the Camp- 

 beltown district it is of equal importance to know if they were taken in 

 Kilbrennan Sound or to the south or east of Arran. As a rule this in- 

 formation is afforded more or less clearly in the records, but often it is 

 not, and its absence makes it difficult to follow the movements of the 

 shoals of herrings from one part to another in such districts or years. 

 Nevertheless, the information given on this head will be of importance 

 when the subject of the migrations of the herring is dealt with. 



Finally, it is to be noted that the weekly records are not always or 

 necessarily strictly accurate, although they generally are. They are 

 compiled by the Oificers from the statements supplied by the fishery 

 correspondents at the various creeks or villages, and from the buying 



