of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 25 
were taken in the deepest haul, in seventy-eight fathoms, twenty-six 
being taken there. The number of anglers obtained in the deeper water 
was nineteen, or an average of 3°8 per haul; in the two drags in 
shallower water only one was caught. Twenty-five starry rays were 
taken in fifty and sixty fathoms, an average per haul of 12°5; eighty were 
caught in from seventy-one to seventy-eight fathoms, the average being 
16. 
The records of these hauls do not, however, give a proper idea of 
the proportional abundance of the various species of fish present on the 
grounds, because the smaller forms escape through the meshes of the 
ordinary otter-trawl. Experiments on a former occasion with small- 
meshed nets showed that the Norway pout (Gadus Hsmarkii) exists in 
great numbers, as well as long rough dabs of all sizes. A coal-fish taken 
in the fifth haul, in seventy-one fathoms, was found to have in its 
stomach two argentines and two Norway pouts. 
I append the records of the temperature observations :— 
Date. | Depth. Approximate Position. Air, | Surface.| Bottom. 
1902. | Fms. a 
23 May 674 | About 80 miles §.S.E. of Sumburgh Head | 45-7 | 44°0 42°8 
Zz 5, al About 50 miles E. by 8. of Sumburgh Head | 52°0 | 45:1 43°3 
20m; 60 | About 50-60 miles E.S.E. of Bressay .| 465 | 45°0 43°5 
7 eae b 74 {| About 50-60 miles 8.E. by E. of Sumburgh)| 4¢g.g | 44-6 429 
\ Head : F : : ah 
28; 70 Do. do. do. .| 46-4] 45°0 | 43:8 
3. The Great Fisher Bank and North-Eastern Grounds in June. 
A voyage to the eastern side of the North Sea was made at the 
end of May on board the steam-trawler “Caledonia I.,” the recorder 
in this instance being also Mr. William Mason. The vessel left Aber- 
deen on the’ morning of May 30th, steering a course E. by 8. from 
Girdleness, and steaming a distance of 170 miles to the Great Fisher 
Bank. The first haul was made the next morning, the depth being 
thirty-four fathoms and the bottom sandy. There was a moderate 
easterly breeze and the sea was choppy; the temperature of the surface 
water was 48:2°F., and of the bottom water 43:°2°F. The drag lasted 
four hours and the catch was small, the fishes numbering 432, of which 
326 were marketable and 106 unmarketable, the latter consisting 
chiefly of small haddocks and whitings. Included among the market- 
able fishes were 230 haddocks—only forty-three, or about half 
a basket, being “firsts”—thirty-seven whitings, five cat-fish, seven 
gurnards, one halibut, forty plaice, and one grey skate. 
The second haul, in the same depth, was hardly more productive, 445 
fishes being obtained, 327 of which were marketable and 118 unmarket- 
able, the latter again consisting for the most part of small haddocks 
and whitings. Five cod were included in the marketable catch, 213 
haddocks, twenty-five whitings, five cat-fish, one ling, one small halibut, 
and seventy-three plaice. Two other trawlers were observed working in 
the immediate neighbourhood. 
Ten other hauls were made on this ground, each for four hours, but 
the fishing continued unproductive. The largest number of fish caught 
in any of the hauls completely recorded was 642, of which 371 were 
marketable, and the smallest number in any haul was 235, of which 204 
