58 Part III. — Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



aggregate will be increased to 7222 crans. The monthly quantities 

 were these : — 



December, January. February. March.. 



2,946 — 1,577 1,736 



In May and June herrings were got in fair quantities on the Ayrshire 

 coast, especially between Girvan and the Heads of Ayr. At the end of 

 December, from the 27th to the 29th, herrings were again got on the 

 grounds off the Heads of Ayr, but not in large quantity, and the shoal 

 then disappeared. In January, 1893, no herrings were landed, trials on 

 the usual grounds being almost or quite blank, and there being no 

 "appearance" of shoals; cod were also scarce. The first herrings of 

 the season were landed on 16th February, and were taken on Ballantrae 

 Banks ; but the catches were small, and the fishing closed at the end of 

 February, the trammels being "clean." The total for the season was 

 only 519 crans, landed as follows : — 



December. January, February. March, 



65 — 454 — 



The summer fishing was small, and no herrings were landed after 

 August, the shoals having failed to appear at the end of the year. In 

 January, 1894, there was no "appearance" of herrings on the coast, and 

 no herring fishing. The first herrings of the season were landed on 16th 

 February, when three crans were caught at Bennan Head, and this was 

 the total for the month, the trammels set on the banks being practically 

 " clean," only a few hundreds of herrings being caught. There was no 

 " appearance " on the banks during the season. In the week ended 9th 

 March the trammels caught nine herrings; but on the 16th and 17th 

 72 crans were taken, and this represented the fishing for the season, none 

 being got afterwards. The aggregate was thus only 75 crans. 



December, January. February. March. 



— — 3 72 



There was a tolerably fair fishing up to August on the Ayrshire coast, 

 especially about Girvan and the Heads of Ayr; but no herrings were 

 taken in the closing months of the year. 



There was no herring fishing in January, 1895, the first herrings 

 being landed in the week ended 16th February, and they were caught on 

 the coast of Arran, about Whiting Bay, it being believed that a slioal 

 was moving south towards Ballantrae. In the week ended 23rd Feb- 

 ruary 116 crans of mixed sizes were taken on the banks by seines ; but 

 thn fishing then was a complete blank till the week ended 9th March, 

 when 169 crans were landed. After this, a few hundreds of crans were 

 taken by trammel-nets, but on the 22nd the nets were " clean," and the 

 fishing ended. The total for the season amounted to 1281 crans, thus 

 apportioned : — 



December. January. February. March. 



— — 117 1,164 



In this year no herrings were landed after 1 7th August. 



In 1896 no herrings were caught in January, the first landed being 

 on 1 5th February, and they were caught at the south end of Arran. In 

 the week ending 22nd February, 194 crans were caught off Lendal Bay, 



