RAPPORTS. XIII C2: THOMPSON — 22 — 



(4) Distribution of Cod in the Moray Firth. 



The following are the trawling stations in the Moray Firth, which will be found more 

 fully described in the Nineteenth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for the year 1900, 

 Part III, Page i8. 



I. In Burghead Bay. The "Garland's" trawlings on this station were in shallow water 

 of 6 to 7 fathoms. The "Goldseeker" on the other hand has made very numerous 

 trawlings all over this Bay, (which is remarkable for its abundance of Plaice), and 

 these trawlings have been divided for our statistical purposes according to depth; 

 we recognise accordingly Stations lA, IB, and IC, all in Burghead Bay, with depths 

 respectively under 10 fathoms, from 10 to 20, from 20 to 34. 

 II. Off Nairn, in 9 to 12 fathoms. 



III. In the Cromarty Firth ; this very shallow water station has not been worked by the 

 "Goldseeker". 

 IV, V, VI. All in the Dornoch Firth at depth ranging from 7 to about 15 fathoms. The 

 "Goldseeker's" trawl having been used all over the Dornoch Firth, these three sta- 

 tions are taken together in our statistics. 

 VII. Off Tarbet Ness, in about 20 to 28 fathoms, on a sandy bottom. 

 VIII. To the East of the above station, about 1 2 miles E. S. E. of the Ness, in about 28 

 to 30 fathoms. 



IX. 4 miles further East than Station VIII, and in similar depth. 



X. Off Lossiemouth, in about 15 fathoms. 



XI, XII, XIII. These Stations are all in the neighbourhood of Smith Bank, XI and XII lying 

 upon the Bank itself. XIII lies a little East of the Bank, in about 25 fathoms, or 

 rather more; the depth of the Bank itself being from about 18 to 20 fathoms. 



XIV. Off Clythness, in 30 fathoms. 



XV. Off Caithness, in 25 to 30 fathoms. 



XVI. In the mouth of the Moray Firth, about 20 miles North of Macduff, and in about 

 35 fathoms water. 



In the small chart (Fig. 26) on which these stations are laid down, it will be seen 

 that the contour lines of depth show the greater part of the Firth, especially to the north- 

 ward, to be under 30 fathoms; while a triangular basin of greater depth runs more or 

 less parallel with the shores of the Firth, though shifted closer to the southern shore. 

 Within this lies a narrow strip of over 50 fathoms, which forms a long gully, deepening 

 further eastward to the well-known Fraserburgh Deep. More or less in the case of Cod, 

 but very much more clearly in the case of Plaice, these contour lines are in close relation 

 with the abundance and with the character of the fish. 



In Table III are given, as we have already given for the Firth of Forth, the mean 

 catch per hour of Cod by the otter trawl, the relative abundance of that fish compared 

 with the total catch of all fishes, and the medians, quartiles, and other principal points 

 upon the curve of sizes. In figure 27 I show the summation curves drawn for three sta- 

 tions in the Moray Firth, namely Station lA, the shallowest part of Burghead Bay; XII, 

 on Smith's Bank; and VII, off Tarbet Ness, halfway between the north and south 



