of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 37 
hours and a half, yielded 7038 fishes, of which 5002 were marketable, 
while the last three hauls, which lasted for thirteen hours, produced 
8790 fishes, of which 5946, or nearly a thousand more, were marketable. 
With regard to flat-fishes, the aggregate number of plaice in the first 
three hauls was 4170, and in the last three 4164; the number of dabs 
in the first three hauls was 1539, and in the last three 2432. 
The vessel left the Dornoch Firth on the morning of 9th October, the 
next drag being made for four hours and forty minutes, just outside of 
Tarbet Ness, in from nine to twenty fathoms. The catch consisted of 
1971 fishes, the marketable numbering 1488, and the unmarketable 
483. Included in the total were 106 codlings, 100 haddocks, none of 
which were small,and 118 gurnards, mostly large. The plaice numbered 
1245, of which 1153 were marketable, 615 belonging to the fourth class, 
366 to the third, 119 to the second, and 53 to the first. The number 
of common dabs was 390, and there were also three brill, four lemon 
soles, and five thornbacks. 
The next haul was made a little farther out, in from nineteen to 
twenty-five fathoms, Tarbet Ness bearing W.S.W., and it lasted for 
three hours and twenty minutes. The fishes taken numbered only 629, 
of which 452 were marketable. Included amongst them were 
three cod, twenty codlings, 146 haddocks—sixty-seven large, thirty 
medium, and forty small,---ten whitings, two ling, and fifty gurnards. 
The flat-fishes comprised 242 plaice, of which 219 were marketable, viz. 
twenty-four large, seventy-four medium, twenty small, and 110 very 
small, and twenty-three too small to be marketable. There were also 
fourteen lemon soles, all marketable, 139 small common dabs, and 
three thornbacks. 
The vessel then steamed to Aberdeen Bay, where three drags were 
made on 10th October. The first, in from five to twelve fathoms, off 
Newburgh, lasted for four hours and a quarter. The catch was not 
enumerated, but it was considerable, consisting of twenty-one baskets of 
small haddocks and three-quarters of a basket of large, and seven 
baskets of plaice, three containing mediums, two small, and two extra 
small. There were also a basket of common dabs, a brill, a codling, 
and twenty whitings. The unmarketable fishes filled three baskets, so 
that the aggregate quantity was about thirty-three baskets. 
In the third haul, which lasted for five hours, in from five to ten 
fathoms, 2574 marketable fishes were taken, viz. 1572 haddocks, all 
except fourteen large belonging to the third class, 817 plaice, of which 
twelve were large, 372 medium, 223 small, and 210 very small, two 
brill, 160 common dabs, and twenty-three gurnards. 
The fishes taken in the second haul were enumerated, the haul lasting 
for five hours and ten minutes, in from four to twelve fathoms. The 
total number was 3003, of which 2619 were marketable and 384 un- 
marketable. The haddocks numbered 1555, and comprised ten large, no 
mediums, and 1522 small, besides twenty-three too small to be saleable, 
There were 948 plaice, 839 being marketable, viz. 228 mediums, 341 
small, and 270 very small; there were also 109 unmarketable. Besides 
these were thirteen codling, nine whiting, thirty gurnards, three brill, 
and 445 common dabs. 
Il. Spzcrau Sraristics or NortH SEA FIsHERtEs. 
In last annual Report* I discussed in some detail the statistics 
relating to the North Sea fisheries, particularly in connection with 
trawling, and formulated a scheme of statistics with the special object 
* Twentieth Ann. Rep., Part I11., ‘‘ North Sea Investigations,” p. 74 ef seq., p. 135, 
