I MODERN INVESTIGATIONS OF THE SUBJECT 1 9 



fessor Mcintosh, and Mr. Duncan Matthews. Mr. Matthews 

 made an elaborate investigation into the question of varieties 

 among the herrings of the Scottish coasts, with the object of 

 ascertaining how far examination of these herrings confirmed 

 or contradicted the conclusions reached with regard to the 

 herrings of the Baltic by Dr. Heincke, of the German Fishery 

 Commission, working at Kiel. The report of Mr. Matthews in 

 the Fourth Report of the Board is very detailed and valuable, 

 though it by no means settles the question. The most important 

 items of the rest of the work, the results of which are published 

 in the same Report, are observations on the herring fishery of 

 Loch Fyne, determination of the species of Copepoda and other 

 animals taken in Loch Fyne, valuable Reports on the food of 

 the herring, cod, and haddock, by Mr. Brook, and a Report on 

 the proportion of herrings and sprats in Thames and Forth 

 whitebait. Work was also carried on at St. Andrews Labora- 

 tory by Professor Mcintosh and Mr. Prince. The results of 

 these inquiries are described in the Board's P^ourth Report, 

 published in 1886. In the same Report it is stated that, in 

 consequence of the recommendations of the Beam Trawling 

 Commission, above summarised, the Sea Fisheries (Scotland) 

 Amendment Act, 1885, was passed, conferring upon the Scotch 

 Board power to prohibit by bye-law trawling or any other mode 

 of fishing in any part of the territorial waters of Scotland. 

 Under this Act the Board made a bye-law prohibiting trawling 

 in the Firth of Forth, St. Andrews Bay, and Aberdeen Bay, as 

 an experiment for the purpose of ascertaining the result of the 

 prohibition on the supply of fish on the grounds so protected. 

 The Board then applied to the Treasury for funds to enable 

 them to purchase a small vessel for trawling. The sum of 

 ^3,000 was granted, and the steam fishing-yacht Garland was 

 purchased at the price of ;^2,5oo. This vessel was 92 feet long, 

 15 feet 10 inches beam, and 8i feet draught. She was built of 

 iron. She was fitted with a trawl of 25 feet length of beam, 

 with which she was to trawl over the protected grounds in order 

 that the number of fish obtained from them at different times 

 might be carefully and accurately ascertained. 



In the Board's Fifth Report, published in 1887, an account 

 is given of the operations of the Garland. It was decided not 

 to close Aberdeen Bay any further, but by new bye-laws the 



C. 2 



