Holt — 8urvey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 389 



All conclusions given, except where expressly stated to tlie 

 contrary, are meant to apply solely to the west coast of Ireland. 



Unfortunately pressure of time prevents me from following 

 Dr. Fulton on the interesting question of the Proportions of the 

 Sexes.^ 



The Eeport ends with some general conclusions upon measures 

 for the protection of immature fish and the increase of the fish 

 supply. For the opinions expressed in this, as in other parts of 

 the Eeport, I am alone responsible. 



(i.)— THE SPAWNING PERIOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF SPAWNING FISH 

 ON THE WEST COAST. 



The observations contained in this Report show that whilst different kinds of fish 

 have different times for spawning, and in the ease of each kind the period is more or 

 less protracted, yet on the whole the bulk of the more valuable fish spawn in the spring. 



With regard to the spawning grounds in relation to the territorial limits, dealt with 

 by D. Wemyss Fulton for the east coast of Scotland, in the 8th Annual Report of the 

 Scotch Fishery Board, 1890, the conditions are so difi'erent on the coast now under 

 consideration that a comparison can hardly be instituted. 



The off-shore grounds, such as the Smith Bank, on the east coast of Scotland, which 

 are the resort of spawning Plaice, &c., on that coast, are hardly at all represented 

 outside the limits on our own coast. 



It appeared to me that the main grounds to which such fish as migrate seawards at 

 the spawning period resort at that time are three in number, viz. Donegal Bay, the 

 ground west of the (Galway) Aran Islands, and the deeper part of Ballinskelligs Bay. 

 Doubtless there are many others, such as the outer part of Dingle Bay ; but of these I 

 have no personal experience. That a large number of Plaice do resort to the first three 

 localities to spawn is a matter of which I have little doubt ; but as unfortunately our 

 observations commenced in each year too late to include much of the spawning season 

 of this fish, I have at present no means of confirming my opinion. It seems certain 

 that Soles visit Ballinskelligs Bay for the purpose of spawning, as they are enormously 

 abundant on certain deep ground in that bay during the spawning season, and do not 

 appear to be found there at any other time. On the other hand, a number of Soles do 

 not appear to migrate at all for spawning purposes, and to a certain extent the same is 

 true of Plaice also. 



Now, of the trawling grounds, on the west coast of which we have acquired or had 

 previously any knowledge, only those westward of the Aran Islands lie outside the 

 territorial limits.^ I have entered at some detail into the question of these limits 

 elsewhere (p. 428), and shall therefore abstain from further remark here. 



^ I have only been able to refer very briefly to several important Papers by the 

 same author in the 9th Ann. Rep. S. F. B., 1891, since the latter did not appear until 

 this Paper was in the press. 



- Some parts of Donegal Bay are outside the limits, but the trawling ground is 

 mainly inside them. 



SCIEN. PROC. R.D.S., VOL. VII., PART IV. 2 H 



