INVESTIGATIONS IN ST ANDREWS BAY, 1888. 118 



were more numerous, as also were the whitings, long-rough 

 dabs and turbot. The saleable gurnards, on the other hand, 

 were considerably diminished, while the unsaleable had largelj^ 

 increased. The reporters do not take notice of the increase in 

 the cod captured by hook in the bay, nor of the large numbers 

 of plaice and dabs secured in the same manner, but such would 

 have strengthened their position in regard to the results, and 

 also somewhat altered certain views, e.g. the diminution of cod. 

 The uncertainty in fishing operations was demonstrated 

 next year (1888) in which 25 hauls of the " Garland's " trawl 

 from July to December (November alone being blank) pro- 

 duced the large number of 6,218 saleable fishes or 248 per 

 haul, the sizes being now affixed, and only 595 or 23 per haul 

 unsaleable, the total being 6,813, considerably less than the 

 previous year, though the number of hauls was greater. As 

 before, plaice were most numerous (2515 saleable and 135 

 unsaleable), dabs being next with 1937 saleable and 436 

 unsaleable. The saleable plaice increased steadily from July 

 to October, viz. 479 in July, 518 in August, 638 in September, 

 645 in October, and suddenly fell to 21 in December. Only 

 a single large plaice 26 inches long was obtained. On the 

 other hand, dabs were irregular in this respect, viz. 335 in 

 July, 787 in August, 685 in September, and 209 in October, 

 the number falling in December to 21 — the same as in the 

 plaice. Large numbers were characteristic of good weather 

 and the warm season, the numbers suddenly falling with the 

 approach of winter and rough seas, when the trawl would 

 work less efficiently ^ A great increase appears in the sale- 

 able haddocks (863), which were mostly caught in July on 

 the inner stations as they roamed inwards in their second 

 year. No unsaleable haddocks were captured. The saleable 

 gurnards had largely increased (503), but the unsaleable had as 

 largely diminished (14 instead of 956), though what a saleable 

 gurnard was may have given rise to doubt. The saleable skate 

 had increased, but the unsaleable had diminished. The 



* Dr Fulton in the S. F. B. Beport {Sth) notices that the largest proportion 

 of immature to adult plaice occurred in St Andrews Bay in summer and 

 autumn. 



M. R. 8 



