106 INVESTIGATIONS IN ST ANDREWS BAY, 1884. 



and the average catch by this net is improved in darkness, the 

 commercial ships had an advantage. The returns of the 

 " Garland," therefore, from the beginning have to be considered 

 to some extent on their own merits. Instead of continuing the 

 work of 1884, extending it, and filling in gaps, new experiences, 

 of less moment in the question, were created, and the com- 

 parison of results rendered more complicated. 



In 1884 the four hauls by the powerful trawlers from 

 Granton took place in January and May, and as subsequent 

 experience in the " Garland " showed, these two months were 

 not characterised by very high averages. They yielded 2,521 

 saleable fishes, composed early in January of 402 haddocks, 

 6 large cod, 84 plaice, 24 whitings, and 18 dabs, besides other 

 forms in small numbers such as thornbacks (which are absent 

 from the returns of the " Garland "). About a fortnight later 

 in the same month, the saleable round fishes were still more 

 abundant, viz. 98 large haddocks, 639 small haddocks, 122 

 whitings, 77 plaice, besides cod, turbot, brill, grey skate, thorn- 

 back, and long-rough dabs. The other two hauls were made 

 on the 1st and 2nd of May in daylight, and it is interesting 

 to observe the change that had occurred in the fish-fauna. 

 Taking the two hauls together for brevity, it is found that the 

 first place is held by the more or less ripe grey gurnards, which 

 numbered 575, the next by the plaice, viz. 372 ; flounder 70, 

 haddock 14, long-rough dab 9, thornback 6, grey skate 7, 

 turbot 7, sole 1. 



Of the unsaleable fishes there were at the beginning of 

 January : — angler 6, whitings 8, thornback 3, dab 5 ; while a 

 fortnight later the proportions were angler 3, long-rough dab 

 47, dab 12. In May the two hauls gave — angler 7, grey 

 gurnards 61, long-rough dab 96, dab 136. While these fishes 

 would have been unsaleable at Granton, they would in most 

 cases have found a market at St Andrews. 



It would seem that most of the round fishes of the cod- 

 family had left the bay, while an immigration of grey gurnards 

 had taken place, but it is well to remember that the very 

 stormy weather in May may have sent the gurnards downward 

 in the water, and thus brought them more readily within reach 



