of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 21 
The catch was a poor one, the number of fishes obtained being 918, 
of which 782 were marketable; the net, however, was slightly split 
Four cod, seventy-two codlings, one saithe, eight cat-fish, and one hali- 
but were among the fishes caught, but haddocks continued to be scarce, 
only 511 being taken (260 large), and only sixteen witches and three 
megrims were secured. The somewhat shallower water of this haul 
was responsible for two plaice being taken and a larger number than 
usual of common dabs, viz. seventy-eight. A few haddocks and many 
whitings were found to be spawning. 
The tenth haul was made in the same locality, the depth being fifty- 
eight fathoms, the wind blowing a moderate breeze from the west, and 
the sea continuing choppy. The five hours’ drag resulted in a catch of 
1340 fishes, of which 1149 were marketable, comprising four cod, 154 
codling, 637 haddocks, 265 whitings, four ling, one hake, two tusk, two 
coal-fish, nine cat-fish, but only thirty-two witches and four megrims. 
Plaice were again present, viz. three, as well as three lemon soles, 
eighty-three common dabs, and eighteen starry rays. 
The eleventh haul was made in sixty-three fathoms in the same 
locality, the bottom being sandy. The catch was not fully enumerated, 
but it included a basket of codling, two cod, six-and-three- quarter 
baskets of haddocks (four of large), a basket of whiting, a ling, a tusk, 
four cat-fish, a halibut, a megrim, eighteen witches, and one plaice, as 
well as seventy-two common dabs. As usual when considerable numbers 
of common dabs are taken in the deeper water, the long rough dab was 
less abundantly represented, only nineteen being taken. 
Early in the morning of the 27th the trawl was again shot, in 
fifty-eight fathoms, the wind blowing a moderate breeze from 8.8.W. 
After the lapse of five hours it was found on hauling that almost the 
entire net had been torn away, leaving the ground-rope and the boards 
attached—an illustration of the vicissitudes of trawling. The net had 
probably caught on rocks or wreckage. On sounding, the depth was 
found to be sixty-six fathoms, and the bottom sandy and rocky, ‘The 
vessel then steamed thirty-two miles to the south-west in Square XV., 
the ground being supposed to be the western part of Bressay Shoal. 
Here the trawl was dropped in seventy-four fathoms, the bottom being 
muddy, 
The catch consisted of 1670 fishes, 957 being marketable and 713 un- 
marketable. The marketable fishes included seven cod, ninety-two codling, 
620 haddocks (258 large), one coal-fish, two tusk, one cat-fish, two hali- 
but, 139 witches, and three megrims. There were no plaice, but five 
small lernon soles. Long rough dabs were abundant, the number taken 
being 672, while there were only five common dabs. Cne Norway 
haddock (Sebastes) was caught ; one haddock was found to be spawning. 
The bottom-temperature was 42°9° F. and the surface-temperature 
44°6° F, 
The fourteenth haul was made in the same locality. on a muddy 
bottom, in seventy-three fathoms. A complete enumeration of the 
fishes caught was not made, but they included one-and-a-half basket of 
codlings, six-and a-quarter baskets of haddocks (2? of large), three- 
quarters of a basket of whitings, eleven saithe or coal-fish, one cat-fish, 
one-and-a-half basket of witches, four grey skates, 327 long rough 
dabs, one common dab, one gurnard, two megrims, and twenty-nine 
starry rays. 
The next drag was made in the same place in seventy-two fathoms, 
and 946 fishes were secured in the five hours. The number of market- 
able haddocks was 442; there were also three cod, forty-five marketable 
codlings, two coal-fish, two cat-fish, 109 witches, uine megrims, forty- 
three starry rays, 234 long rough dabs, and two common dabs, 
