Holt — Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 461 



The Haddock, therefore, appears to be entirely a bottom feeder. Echinoderms- 

 contribute nearly half the items of food. Brittle Stars, and especially Amphiura, 

 seem to be the most sought after. Crustaceans and Annelids together contribute- 

 about as much, the former a little more than the latter. Gastropods and Lamelli- 

 branchs appear to be less appreciated, though the protective squirt apparatus of the 

 Sea Hare seems to fail against this enemy. Of fish only the minute and helpless 

 Cry stallog ohms appears to suffer. 



Smith, in the Frith of Forth, found Haddock "perhaps the most equal or indis- 

 criminate feeders." But his observations differ from ours in that the proportions 

 of Crustaceans and Echinoderms are reversed, whilst the proportion of Molluscs is- 

 rather higher than in ours. He notices, also, the absence of fish as an article of diet, 

 though the number of fish examined was much greater than came under our own. 

 observation. 



Medusidcs and Ctenophores occurred in a few stomachs. 



WHITING — Gadus merlangus. 



During the Survey 45 stomachs were examined. 26 were empty. In 1 the food' 

 was indistinguishable. Of the remaining 18 EcMnoderms, Amphiura occurred in 1 ; 

 Crustaceans in 4 ; My sis in 3, and Shrimps {Grangon) in 1 ; Fish in 12 ; Sprats in 4 ; 

 Herring, Sand-eels, Norway Pout, and Cry stallog ohius each in 1 ; unidentified fisL 

 in 4. One Whiting, in very bad condition, had only some stones in its stomach. 



It appears, therefore, that the Whiting feeds very largely on fish, to a much less 

 extent Crustaceans (Shrimps of various kinds), and very little on Echinoderms (Brittle 

 Stars). The number examined, however, is much too smaU for a satisfactory con- 

 clusion. 



Smith, after examining a much larger number in the Frith of Forth, concludes that 

 Whiting feed chiefly on fish : less on Crustaceans, and very little on MoUuscs and 

 Annelids. The two latter were not found at all during our own observations, whilst 

 Smith, on the other hand, found no Echinoderms. The stomach of one was found to 

 be full of Herring eggs. 



POUTASSOU — Gadus poutassou. 



In July, 1891, I examined the stomachs of several immature Poutassou, about 6 

 inches long, which formed part of a shoal observed at the surface over 175 fathoms of 

 water. They contained Crustaceans, i.e. the remains of Copepods and other small 

 Pelagic Crustaceans. 



COALFISH — Gadus virens. 



In 1891, 24 stomachs of large Coalfish were examined. 7 were empty. Of the 

 remaining 17, Crustaceans occurred in 10, My sis in 8, Fish in 9, Sprats in 3^ 

 Sandeels and Crystallogobius each in 1, unidentified fish in 4. The stomachs of 

 several contained stones, and many were infested with Ascaris. Thus it appears that 

 the food is limited to fish and Crustaceans, especially Mysis. Probably fish is the 

 principal food. Certainly to live upon Schizopods alone would entail considerable 

 activity upon so large a fish as this. 



