SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 
I.—INVESTIGATIONS ON THE ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION 
AND MIGRATIONS OF THE FOOD FISHES. By Dr. T. 
Wemyss Futon, F.R.S.E., Scientific Supermtendent. (Plate I.) 
ConTENTS. 
PaGE. 
I. Investigations on board Steam Trawlers— 
1. The Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay in May, : 16 
2. The Deep-water Grounds in May, . 19 
3. The Great Fisher Bank and North-Eastern Grounds 
inJune, . : 25 
The Moray Firth and ‘Aberdeen Bay i in October, : 30 
The Relative Efficiency of the Beam and Otter Trawl, . 30 
II. The Special Statistics of North Sea Fisheries, - ; 37 
III. The Distribution, Migrations, &c., of the Food Fishes— 
Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa),  . ; : 40 
Flounder (P. flesus), ; Z : ; : 42 
Common Dab (P. limanda), : : : : 44 
Lemon Dab (P. microcephalus), . ‘ : ; 46 
Witch (P. cynoglossus), . : 5 : 49 
Megrim (Lepidorhombus whiff), , : : 50 
Sceald-fish (Platophrys laterna) - - : . 51 
Turbot (Bothus maximus), : ; ‘ : 51 
Brill (B. rhombus), : ; : 51 
Halibut (Hippoglossus vulgaris). : : : 53 
Little Sole (Solea lutea), . : ; ; : 53 
Sole (Solea vulgaris), : : L : ‘ 54 
Cod (Gadus callarias), . 3 : ; ; 54 
Coal-fish (G. virens), ; : 5 : : 59 
Pollack (G. pollachius), . . : ; ; 60 
Ling (Molua molva), . : : 3 : 62 
Hake (Merluccius vulgaris), F : ‘ : 62 
Tusk (Brosmius brosme), . ‘ : : ; 63 
Cat-fish (Anarrhichas lupus), — . : : : 63 
Herring (Clupea harengus), : : ‘ : 65 
Sprat (C. sprattus), ; : : ; ‘ 67 
Mackerel (Scomber scombrus),  . : ‘ : 68 
Lesser Weever (TVrachinus vipera), : 69 
Pogge or Armed-Bullhead (A gonus cataphr actus), : 74 
In the Annual Reports for last year and the year preceding, an 
account is given of certain investigations which were made, for the 
most part by the use of steam trawlers, as to the abundance and distri- 
bution of the food fishes on certain grounds, and more particularly in 
the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay. 
In 1902 these investigations were continued, but, owing to the 
reduction in the amount of the scientific vote, on a smaller scale than 
in the previous years. Visits were made to the various grounds in the 
Moray Firth, a series of hauls being taken in the Dornoch Firth, Burg- 
head Bay, Smith Bank, and other places which had been examined on 
previous occasions, as well as in Aberdeen Bay. Two trips were also 
made to the more distant fishing grounds, the Great Fisher Bank, and 
the north-eastern area off the Shetlands, and much valuable information 
