of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 229 
miles east from Aberdeen, on the edge of the Norwegian deep water. 
A specimen of the king-fish, measuring forty-one inches in length and 
weiching fifty-six pounds, was found lying on the beach at Usan, near 
Montrose, on Ist November 1902. Mr. Wm. Nisbet, the Fishery 
Officer, in communicating the fact, stated that no other specimen is 
known to have been taken in the neighbourhood since 1845, when one 
was caught in a salmon stake-net in the same locality. 
Motter’s TopKnor (Zeugopterus punctatus). 
A large specimen of this species, measuring 23°2 centimetres (9 
inches) in extreme length, was caught among the rocks at Peterhead on 
the 19th September and kindly forwarded to the Laboratory by Mr. 
Andrew Cowe. 
THe Battan Wrasse (Labrus maculatus). 
Two specimens were kindly forwarded by Mr. Robert Hendry, the 
Fishery Officer at Lerwick, which had been caught on the haddock lines 
a few miles off Bressay Island on 22nd November. 
Bass (Labrax lupus). 
A specimen of the bass was caught on 5th February at Kincardine-on- 
Forth, and kindly forwarded to me by Mr. Spowart, Bo'ness. 
MutinaTep PLAICE. 
A plaice 33 centimetres in length was taken in the trawl-net on 26th 
May, which had been mutilated apparently some time previously, the 
dorsal and ventral fins and the anal having been cut off close all round 
and the wound cicatrised. The fish was rather thin, but otherwise 
apparently healthy. It is interesting as showing the survival of a flat- 
fish with only the caudal fin and the pectorals. 
Common or Buack SOLE. 
On 26th April a trawler landed a number of soles, which are rare on 
the East Coast, estimated to weigh about a stone, taken eleven miles 
W.S.W. of Cape Wrath. 
Norway Losster (Nephrops Norvegicus). 
These are sometimes taken in large numbers by trawlers. On 27th 
November one landed two ewts., of an estimated quantity of forty to fifty 
ewts., taken eighty miles E.N.E. of Aberdeen in seventy fathoms, the 
rest being thrown overboard, and on 5th October another landed three 
ewts. taken about ninety miles E.N.E.,a much greater quantity having 
been thrown away. There is scarcely a demand for them on the market. 
Ina haul in fifty fathoms in the Moray Firth in April two basketfuls 
were caught, most of them being small. 
Tue Retative NuMBERS OF THE SEXES AMONG SKATES AND Rays. 
During the course of the work on trawlers a large number of rays were 
taken, and in many instances the proportional number of the maies and 
P 
