118 INVESTIGATIONS IN ST ANDEEWS BAY, 1891. 



1889 only 43 whitings were captured, yet in 1888 there were 

 258. In regard to the gurnards, it may be observed that they 

 were caught on almost all the stations chiefly in May and 

 August — thinning off in March on the one hand and in 

 October and December on the other. 



Those who had faith in the gradual-accumulation-theory 

 must have been perplexed in 1891, in which the number of 

 hauls was 33, made in February, July, August, October, Novem- 

 ber and December. Of saleable fishes there were 3,668, of 

 unsaleable 1,665, giving a total of 5,333 — or 161 per haul, a 

 result considerably less than any year since 1886, when the bay 

 was closed. The average number of saleable fishes per haul 

 was 111 and of unsaleable 50. At Station I. the average 

 catch was the lowest recorded — less by 32 than in 1886. At 

 Station II. the number was only about half that obtained 

 during the three previous years and a third that of 1887. 

 It is true it was much larger than that of 1886, but the 

 number then was very low (73). At Station III. the num- 

 ber, like that of Station I., was the lowest yet obtained. At 

 Station IV. the same result happened, the number being no 

 less than 122 below that of 1886. By one of the usual variations 

 the fishes obtained at Station V. exceeded those of all except 

 1887. The only round fishes in considerable numbers were 

 gurnards, which, totally absent in February, occurred during 

 the other months, though only at Statiou I. in December. The 

 largest number were captured in November. The occurrence 

 of 71 more or less adult herrings scattered over every station in 

 February shows that this fish may spawn in the bay, and thus 

 the hordes of young herrings in March will be more readily 

 explained than by any other supposition. They were chiefly 

 taken at Stations I. and V. near the southern entrance to the 

 bay. The 20 cod were all large, and were got only in February 

 and December — showing that during the warmer months they 

 are rare. The numbers of the important flat fishes, such as 

 turbot (1), soles (2), brill (0), lemon-dabs (4), demonstrated that 

 as yet the closure had not altered their distribution. Lastly, 

 the diminution in the number of plaice, viz., from 5,070 in 1890 

 to 1,598 in 1891, was probably due to causes altogether 



