of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 59 



We may now consider the averages resulting from a combination of 

 the months, bearing in mind the remarks above made as to the pro- 

 portion in the two periods. 



In June and July, representing about 71 per cent, of the total fish, the 

 averages in tlie two periods were as follow : — 



In July and August together, representing about 80 per cent, of the 

 total number of fish taken, the averages for the various stations were : — 



In August and September, representing about 29 per cent, of the total 

 quantity of fish taken, the various averages were as follow : — 



10. Discussion of Ebsults. 



From' the consideration of the averages as above discussed it is clear 

 that the number of young plaice of the year which were taken per hour's 

 fishing by the push-net in the first period of six years, when plaice fry 

 were being added to the waters of Lochfyne, was much higher than in 

 the second period of six years, when no fry were added. When the mean 

 of all the collections made in the first six years is compared with the 

 mean of all those taken in the second six years, the decrease was by more 

 than half, amounting to 48 plaice per hour's fishing. The decrease was, 

 moreover, common to all the five stations where collections were made, 

 though it differed in degree, varying from 19-2 per hour to 104-7 per 

 hour. When the collections in the same month throughout the two 

 periods are studied, the same thing is brought out — a decrease in the 

 mean number of plaice taken in the two periods, and, with a few 

 exceptions, a decrease also at each of the stations. In July, in which the 

 number of collections in the two periods were almost the same, in which 

 the same number of years are included, and in which over 60 per cent. 

 of the total number of plaice were obtained, the value of the comparison 

 is greatest. The mean number per hour in that month for all the 

 sta:;ions combined was 130*2 in the first period and 56-1 in the second 

 period, a reduction of 74 fish per hour ; and there was a notable 

 diminution at each of the stations, varying from 40*1 to 122"5 fish per 

 hour. In August, when two collections were made in the first period 

 and five in the second, the fish obtained representing about 20 per cent. 

 of the total, the mean reduction for all stations was a little under 10 

 plaice per hour's fishijg, and there was a diminution at all stations except 

 one, where the numbers were practically the same. In September the 



