of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 187 
herring was the cause; and not only anglers, but numerous cod, large 
codling, and saithe, and some ling and hake, were also attracted. There 
were few haddocks or whitings on the ground. The average numbers of 
anglers taken on this [ground in the various months, per ten hours of 
trawling, were :—January 16, February 103, March 32, May 75, June 25, 
July 12, August 47, September 5, and December 32 ; no hauls were made 
on it in August, October, or November. 
It is noteworthy that very young anglers, but still quite large enough 
to be retained in the meshes of the otter-trawl, were exceedingly scarce, 
a remark that indeed applies to the smaller individuals of many other 
forms. From the great development of the head, comparatively small 
specimens would be caught if they entered the net. Occasionally speci- 
mens under seven inches are obtained, but not very commonly. Among 
the measurements of 644 at different places and times I find the 
following :— 
Under Under Under Under Beni 
8 inches. | 7 inches. | 6 inches. | 52 inches.) * ny 
IN@s) = : 7 30 133 6 1 
0/, of Total- | 88 4-6 2-0 0-9 0-2 
The comparative scarcity of the young anglers is very probably owing 
to the reason that I have elsewhere suggested to account for the absence 
of other young forms. They are obviously uncommon on bottoms suited 
for trawling, or they would be taken in much greater numbers. A pelagic 
habit in their case is out of the question much after the post-larval stage, 
and it is probable, as I suggested some years ago,* that the young anglers 
frequent rocky alge-covered ground where they can have shelter and also 
suitable food. This view is supported by the large number of small anglers 
that were taken in one haul in November on the edge of such rocky 
ground—viz., off Lybster, on the Caithness coast, in from twenty-three to 
thirty-four fathoms, where the trawl-net not uncommonly comes to grief. 
Of thirty-six anglers taken in this haul no less than twenty-seven were 
under 200 mm. (74 inches), and another was 201 mm. They are included 
above, and thus make the proportion of the small anglers as indicated 
much greater than in ordinary circumstances. The size ranged from 128 
to 198 mm. (554-742 inches), the average being 153-5 mm., or a little over 
six inches. These young anglers were feeding on sand-eels, which had 
probably tempted them from their rocky fastnesses. The next sizes were 
277, 298, etc., mm. 
Of other 210 anglers got at various times iu other hauls in the Moray 
Firth only three were under 20 cm. Two of these measured 198 mm., 
one got in June in from five to fourteen fathoms in Burghead Bay, and 
the other in the Dornoch Firth in July in from eight to eleven fathoms. 
At one point of the Dornoch Firth, it may be said, the bottom consists 
of rocks, extending far out. Another caught in the latter place in 
November measured 127 mm., or exactly five inches. 
Since this specimen appears to be one of the smallest recorded, I give 
the following particulars. The exact colouring was not noted at the 
* Hight Ann. Rep., Part LII., p. 177 (1889). 
