45 



in much smaller mimbers than on the zone of sea within the 

 twenty-fathom contour line. In fact, we may neglect most of 

 the Irish Sea outside this limit as a plaice ground — though it 

 would, of course, be difficult to give statistical data demonstrat- 

 ing this. By far the greater part of the plaice caught come 

 from the shallow water less than twenty fathoms in depth. 



Distribution of the Different Species of Fish. 



Even in such a small area as that which we are 

 considering — it is all included within 3° of latitude and 2° 

 of longitude — there are quite noticeable differences in the 

 predominant kinds of fish present on the fishing grounds. This 

 is illustrated by the following tables and graph, which represent 

 the results of a number of fishing experiments made in the Firth 

 of Clyde and Luce Bay (by permission of the Fishery Board 

 for Scotland) as well as in the Irish Sea. The experiments 

 were rather rough ones, being made at different times and by 

 different vessels, so that the results are not precisely com- 

 parable. Still, I have no doubt that very much the same 

 general ratios would be obtained even by carefully standardised 

 trawlings. 



