SEA-FISIIERIES LABORATORY. 85 



REPORT UN MEASUREMENTS OF PLAICE MADE 

 DURING THE YEAR 1911. 



By Jas. Johnstone. 



The meusiu'emeuts of plaice caught in the course of 

 the ■ routine tra\vliug experiments, carried out by 

 Captain Wignall and the Fishery Officers, have been 

 made in the usual manner. They are recorded in the 

 following series of tables, and I do not propose to discuss 

 them here. For the most part the localities sampled are 

 the same as in previous years ; and the statistics form a 

 useful continuation of those already published. Captain 

 Wignall has, as in former years, devoted attention 

 chiefly to the summer plaice fishery near Nelson Buoy, 

 off the Estuary of the Ribble, and the winter fishery 

 near Great Orme's Head, and in the adjacent bays, and 

 his series of figures for the last three years is sure to be 

 useful. Mr. G. Eccles gives a very complete series of 

 measurements of plaice caught near the Estuary of the 

 Mersey, particularly for a remarkable fishery which 

 occurred in 1911 near West Hoyle Bank, opposite the 

 Estuary of the Dee. This is just the sort of work that 

 is admirable : whenever such an exceptional abundance 

 of fish of any kind is observed it is most desirable that 

 the ofiicers should make frequent hauls and obtain good 

 series of measurements. 



Samples of plaice, sent by Captain Wignall and the 

 Fishery Officers, have also been examined as in former 

 years. Statistics of length, sex and age are given for 

 various fishing grounds. It is proposed to discuss these 

 when a sufficient mass of data has been obtained, and 

 it has become possible to deduce the general conditions 

 applicable to the principal fishing grounds, without 

 necessarily taking into account the variations from 

 year to year. Average weights for the varigus samples, 



