INVESTIGATIONS IN ST ANDREWS BAY, 1887. Ill 



instance of ground which "from the scientific evidence ob- 

 tained, and from the testimony given on the spot," is naturally- 

 adapted for the support of multitudes of edible fishes. Yet 

 fishes are much less plentiful there than on the east coast, 

 since the trawlers have swept the waters, and have now left 

 them as unremunerative. They also assert that a regular 

 migration of flat fishes takes place during the winter, but do 

 not enter into details, and state further, that small fishes are 

 chiefly taken in inshore waters. 



In St Andrews Bay in 1887 an increased number of hauls, 

 viz., twenty-one, were made in the months of May, June, 

 August, and October, and they yielded 2,649 saleable fishes, 

 or an average of 126 per haul, a great advance on the pre- 

 vious year. Nearly one half (1,249) were plaice, and out of 

 this number only three were large. Most were captured 

 within the Bay, and in June a large number at Station IV., 

 skirting the sandy beach. Dabs follow (838), and though 

 generally distributed the greatest numbers occur on the inner 

 Stations (I. and II.). Of this number 63 were large. With 

 considerably smaller numbers, are haddocks (200), only 9 being 

 large, flounders, gurnards, long-rough dabs (three being large), 

 grey skate, whitings and lemon-dabs. Three soles and a cat-fish 

 complete the list. 



The unsaleable food-fishes reached the large number of 

 5,525, two forms, as before, being greatly in excess of the others 

 and nearly equal, viz., plaice 1,786 and dabs 1,767. Then 

 follow gurnards (956), which reached their maximum in June ; 

 small haddocks (810), which reached their maximum in October, 

 the highest catch being on the outer Station (V.). That these 

 were young fishes for the most part making for the inshore 

 is probable, since only eleven were got in May, whereas in the 

 subsequent months, June, August and October, the numbers 

 are respectively 202, 152, 280. Lemon-dabs, long-rough dabs, 

 grey skate, flounders, turbot and starry rays follow. Only four 

 small cod, three whitings, one ling, and one sole occurred. 



In connection with the increase, greater dexterity may have 

 been acquired in the use of the trawl and, further, the incidence 

 of the work in such favourable months as those mentioned, 



