446 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



waters. Most of the fish that size I have observed in the boxes 

 sent over from Norway, taken later than our autumnal fishing. 



A Scribbled Mackerel, 14 in. long, brought in on June 14th. 

 Very rarely does this variety exceed 15 in. 



The summer Mackerel fishing was not up to the average. 

 The first catch came in on May 3rd, the last on July 20tb. The 

 recorded catch was about 175 lasts. They averaged something 

 like eleven shillings a 100 — of 120. During the autumnal 

 Herring fishery the Mackerel were not so abundant as in some 

 years, but very fine specimens came to the wharf. Fewer boats 

 followed the fishery this year, and I believe only one specially 

 fished with Mackerel-nets during the Herring voyage. 



The want of some salutary legislation with regard to the 

 catching of Herrings is sorely needed. Some catches of absurdly 

 small Herrings, nine inches in length, were arriving from North 

 Shields. Some I saw were, however, slightly deeper in propor- 

 tion as compared with our own autumnal fish. No close season 

 obtains, and fishing takes place more or less nearly all the year 

 round ; not even is there a Sunday respite, for the boats fish 

 seven days a week. One day's immunity a week would be bene- 

 ficial. Added to this untimely catching, Grimsby traiders fished 

 off the Yorkshire coast in the early autumn of 1911, a new 

 departure which promises disaster, when it is known that the 

 trawls relentlessly sweep across and across the spawning- 

 grounds. When it is well known that trawling has long de- 

 pleted the North Sea of Haddocks (which fifty years ago were 

 taken off Yarmouth, where none are now found), and other 

 marketable species, and cut up the feeding-grounds, it is easy 

 to foretell a like result with the Herrings. Anyway, any large 

 increase in trawling must seriously affect the drift-net fishermen. 

 The fish taken were exceedingly fine ones, but sadly " rubbed," 

 and denuded of scales, which rendered them utterly useless for 

 certain modes of cure. 



July — an extraordinary month for various Medusa, which 

 teemed in the North Sea. 



Double Plaice : Saw a Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) on Aug. 

 31st. It was dark coloured on both sides save for the under 

 " cheek," which was white. The orange spots were distributed 

 alike, above and below. There was a notch in the head wherein 



