KoLT— Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 399 



shows that spawning is carried on to some extent as late as June. The pelagic eggs 

 were very abundant in the tow-net in the latter part of March and in April. From 

 Fulton's observations it appears that in Scotch waters spawning takes place from the 

 end of February or beginning of March until June, chiefly, perliaps, in April. 



Distribution of Spawning Fish. 



No ripe fish were in very shallow water. 1 male was ripe in 17 to 19 fathoms, 

 and 1 in 38 fathoms. 2 ripe females were in 25 to 10 fathoms, 5 in 26 to 27 fathoms, 

 and 1 in 38 fathoms. 2 females were nearly ripe in 17 to 19 and 38 fathoms. Thus 

 it would appear that the shallow bays are not frequented by spawning whiting on this 

 coast. On the East coast of Scotland Fulton records ripe examples from both territorial 

 and off-shore grounds. 



COAIi-FISH — Gadus virens. 

 Total number caught, 231 (mostly very small). 



24 coal-fish were examined during the months of April and May, 12 males and 

 12 females. 1 male was ripe at the beginning of April ; all the rest were spent. Fulton 

 records, on the authority of Fishery Oflacers, ripe specimens {mak or fem.ile ?) in 

 February, March, April, and July. The italics are mine. I believe that the coal-fish 

 spawns chiefly at the beginning of the year. Ewart and Fulton, however, obtained 

 two ripe examples (sex not mentioned) in April and July respectively, and conclude 

 that spawning takes place much later than in the cod, chiefly in June [vide 7th Ann. 

 Eep. S. F. B., 1889, p. 195). The ova have never been described. In all probability 

 they are pelagic, like those of the other members of the genus Gadus, and it is by no 

 means unlikely that they are very hard to distinguish from those of one or other of the 

 most closely allied species. 



The adults appear to inhabit moderate depths, and presumably spawn there. Ewart 

 and Fulton think that spawning takes place at considerable distances from shore on the 

 east coast of Scotland, which, bathymetrically, amounts to much the same thing. 



NORWAY TOTJT— Gadus esmarlcii. 



A female, 4| inches, was ripe on the 7th April, at 50 fathoms off Inishmore ; and 

 another, 4| inches in length, was ripe on the 8th of April at 38 fathoms off Gregory 

 Sound. Another female, considerably larger, was spent on 4th July at 144 fathoms, 

 30 nules off AchiQ Head. The pelagic eggs were taken, in small numbers, in April. 

 They are very similar, at all stages, to those of the whiting, but are smaller.^ This 

 species, though not recognised as Irish before last year, appears to be not uncommon 

 in the rather deep water to which it seems to be confined. 



1 The diameter is -95 to -98 mm. 



