64 Pari III.— Twenty-fifth Annual Report 



The quantities taken in the various months of the two groups of years 

 were as follows : — 



June. July. August. Septemper. Octobei\ November. 



1863-68 .. 2,770 6,486 3,406 489 1^ — 



1869-71 .. 3,962 5,951 7,615 2,473 893 124 



In the years 1872-1874 the catches were above the average, the mean 

 for the three years being 15,574 crans, and they were singularly uniform 

 as to the groYS quantity in each year. In these years, it may be here 

 noted, the takes in Loch Fyne were abnormally low. 



In 1872, the catch in June was comparatively small, and about equal 

 quantities were landed at Campbeltown and Carradale ; in July the fishing 

 greatly improved, most of the herrings being taken about Carradale ; 

 in August it was also good, the fishing now extending up the Soiind 

 of Kilbrennan to Skipncss ; in September the grounds were the same, 

 herrings being also taken near Canipbeltown ; and the fishing closed in 

 October, in the week ended 26th, with an aggregate of 15,432 crans. 



In 1873, the fishing in June was light, mostly in the lower reaches 

 of Kilbrennan Sound, near Campbeltown, and Carradale, but also to 

 the south of the island of Sanda, near the Mull of Kintyre. In 

 August the fishing was chiefly in the Sound of Kilbrennan up to 

 Skipness Point ; it was the same in September and October. On the 

 18th October it was noted that herrings were abundant all along the 

 western coast of Arran down to Pladda and up the Sound, between 

 Carradale and Skipness. The fishing fell off afterwards, and it closed on 

 25th October, the total for the year being 15,891 crans. 



In 1874, the Officer reported on 18th June that there was a good 

 "appearance" of herrings at the ^luU of Kintyre and all over the 

 channel of the Firth of Clyde. In June the fishing was mainly in the 

 lower reaches of Kilbrennan Soimd, especially about Carradale and 

 Campbeltown ; in July the chief grounds were between Campbeltown 

 and Carradale, but also all along the Sound between Campbeltown 

 and Skipness. In August and September it was the same ; in October 

 the herrings were mostly found south and west of Carradale and towards 

 the Arran shore. The fishing was continued in November, herrings 

 being caught south-east of Davaar island, at the entrance to Campbeltown 

 harbour, and it was reported that there were still plenty of herrings in 

 the channel south of Arran. The fishing closed on 14th November, the 

 aggregate for the year being 15,400 crans. As mentioned below, 

 however, it appears that 484 barrels or crans were landed in the spring 

 fishing of this year, which were not included in the totals. The 

 quantities taken in the various months in the three years were as 

 follows . — 



2,255 15,794 12,206 10,803 5,048 617 



The four following years — 1875-1878 — were much under the average, 

 the lowest being 1875, when the yield was only 3064 crans, and the best 

 1877, when the aggregate was 12,081 crans. The average for the four 

 years was 7876 crans. 



