4S Proceedmgs of the Eoyal Physical Society. 



barrels. After this comes a period of fluctuation, the take 

 in 1882 being 250,000; in 1830, 450,000; and in 1840, over 

 650,000. From 1840 to 1874 it varied from 500,000 to 

 1,000,000 barrels. In 1876 the take was 600,000; in 1878, 

 900,000 ; while in 1880 it reached the wonderful total of 

 1,480,000 barrels, and last autumn's take was nearly as 

 great. 



Although there has been an increase in the '' take," the 

 rate of increase has not been commensurate with the increase 

 in the amount of netting. Since the introduction of cotton 

 nets and of large herring boats, the means of capture has 

 been increased enormously. An idea of the catching power 

 will be best understood when it is mentioned that the nets 

 in use during the autumn off the Scottish coast would, if 

 fixed end to end, be long enough to stretch three times across 

 the Atlantic. 



Another change that has taken place is in the position of 

 the fishing ground. In former years herring approached our 

 shores, and often entered in immense numbers the firths and 

 bays along the east coast. Dr Gordon, in 1852, refers to 

 the Moray Firth shoals congregating on the Guillam bank 

 (which lies near the mouth of the Cromarty Firth), and in 

 earlier times they often penetrated far into the Cromarty 

 Firth. 



During the last fifteen years comparatively few herring 

 have been taken on the inshore ground along the east coast 

 during the autumn. The fishermen have found it necessary 

 to proceed from forty to seventy miles to sea before they 

 came in contact with the herring shoals. This change in 

 the position of the fishing ground has quite altered the whole 

 industry. Large decked boats have taken the place of the 

 small open boats; and as harbours are requisite for the 

 large boats, the fishermen have found it necessary to fish 

 from such centres as Fraserburgh, Peterhead, and Wick, 

 which, in addition to being nearer the shoals than Cromarty, 

 Helmsdale, and other inland ports, afford suitable harbour 

 accommodation. 



The only other great change that I shall refer to is in the 

 size of the fish captured. During recent years — especially 



