422 Bibliographical Notice. 



higher forms. Cilio-flagellates, Porifera, and Hydrozoa &c. literally 

 are exhaustless. Annelids and the groups of the minute Crusta- 

 ceans (Copepods &e.) so teem as to be far beyond the interference of 

 man. These, be it observed, are the standard food of the great 

 body of the inshore commercial fishes. 



Of the slow-growing lobsters and edible crabs, however, signs of 

 diminution are not wanting. This applies to sedentary oysters and 

 some of the marketable mollusks ; hence beneficially they have 

 received culture and legislative protection. But others of the 

 Mollusca, e. g. the free-swimming Cephalopods and Pteropods, or in 

 contrast many sunken Lamellibranchs (say Mactra and Scrobicu- 

 laria), continue to fruitfully multiply in spite of wholesale destruc- 

 tion, the former classes forming the nutriment of the great roaming 

 whales, the latter bivalves supplying the food of the ground-loving 

 plaice, dab, and flounder. 



In another chapter the effects of trawling and of lining are dis- 

 cussed with respect to the surrounding Invertebrate fauna, to adult 

 and young fishes, and to the eggs. Likewise the results of the 

 changes in fishing-vessels and their gear and the conditions of the 

 East Coast fishers and fisheries generally. The substance of this 

 chapter has already appeared in the 12th Ann. Rep. F. B. S. for 

 1893 under " Remarks on Trawling " * ; but it has been remodelled, 

 amended, added to, and, in fact, brought up to date. Indeed, what 

 has taken place in the statistical returns given between 1894 and 

 1897 inclusive constitutes an important section of it. 



Passing on, Prof. M'lntosh devotes Chapters III. -VI. to a close 

 criticism of the investigations on trawling experiments of the Board's 

 6teamer 'Garland' during 1886-1895, those in St. Andrews Bay, 

 the Firth of Forth, the Moray Firth, and the Firth of Clyde being 

 taken in sequence. There follows in Chapter VII. his summary and 

 conclusions of the entire questions at issue. 



Lastly there is an Appendix of thirty- two tables of statistics, 

 which we consider he has done wisely in thus separating from 

 the body of the text. In the latter, however, there are a few 

 scattered tabular data, rendering some points easier to be grasped 

 by the general reader. The work is further illustrated by sixteen 

 plates and eight woodcuts. Though some of these may seem 

 rather a side issue, others are graphic expositions of ways and 

 means prevalent among the Scotch east coast fishers and fisheries. 

 Altogether they materially help to lighten the volume, wherein 

 necessarily facts, opinions, and arguments bristle throughout. 



The Scotch fisherfolks are well known to be an industrious, 

 thrifty, hard-working, and upright community ; but, judging from 

 the author's types, to an English eye they are no beauties. 



"We may remark that there is a decided want of a chart or sketch- 

 diagrams to represent the relative positions of the forty-three 



* See also the author's pamphlet, ' A Brief Sketch of the Scottish 

 Fisheries, chiefly in their Scientific Aspects, during the decade 1882- 

 1892.' 8vo, Dundee, 1892. 



