116 INVESTIGATIONS IN ST ANDREWS BAY, 1889. 



unsaleable. The hauls were made in January, March, April, 

 June, August, October and November, and thus both the 

 colder and the warmer months were represented. The average 

 per haul of saleable fishes was 176 and of unsaleable 30. This, 

 therefore, when compared with the previous year, shows a 

 considerable diminution (72 per haul) of saleable fishes, and 

 a slight increase (7 per haul) of unsaleable. If the stations 

 are taken in series, as before. Station I. has an average 

 (saleable and unsaleable) per haul of 245 — 67 more than in 

 the previous year. A diminution of 19 per haul takes place 

 at Station II., and it is little more than half the catch of 

 1887. On Station III. a remarkable condition is found, the 

 average being no less than 88 below what it was in 1886, 

 not a third of what it was in 1888, and not half what it 

 was in 1887. The captures on Stations IV. and V. are also 

 much below what they were in 1888. Such variations appear 

 to be connected with the season, the captures indeed forming a 

 spindle from January to December. As Dr Fulton pointed out 

 in the summary of the year, plaice had increased but dabs had 

 diminished ; thus in 1888 the average per ' haul ' was for plaice 

 106 and dabs 94, whereas in 1889 the averages were 117 and 

 54 respectively. It is also observed " that at Stations I. and . 

 II. there was a considerable increase of flat fishes (almost 

 entirely of plaice) and a large decrease at Stations III. and IV. 

 (chiefly of dabs and plaice)." The figures in our tables show 

 that in 1888 the total captures of plaice were as follows: — 

 Station I. 284 or 56 per haul^; II. 506 or 101 per haul; III. 

 451 or 90 per haul ; IV. 945 or 189 per haul, whereas in 1889 the 

 figures were: Station I. 830 or 118 per haul; II. 736 or 105 

 per haul; III. 551 or 78 per haul; IV. 1561 or 223 per haul. 

 For plaice, therefore, there is an increase on three stations. 

 In regard to dp,bs in 1888, Station I. 406 or 81 per haul; 

 II. 439 or 87 per haul; III. 612 or 102 per haul; IV. 450 or 

 90 per haul ; and in 1889, I. 418 or 59 per haul ; II. 535 or 76 

 per haul ; III. 212 or 30 per haul ; IV. 77 or 11 per haul. The 

 increase of flat fishes, therefore, at Station I. was as 177 (1889) 



^ Saleable and unsaleable on each station by number of trawls on each 

 station. 



