INVESTIGATIONS IN ST ANDREWS BAY, 1894—95. 123 



total considerably over that of 1893, viz. from 83 to 112. If 

 the five enclosed stations alone are considered, the average for 

 plaice is 59 and for dabs 24, an increase in the former case 

 of 18 per haul and a decrease in the latter of 7 per haul. 

 It is pointed out in the 13th Report^ that there was an 

 increase on the general average in the enclosed waters, and 

 justly so, since the average per haul in 1893 was 148, whereas 

 in 1894 it was 179 on the four areas. The reporter also 

 observes that there was a considerable decrease of round fishes. 

 Haddocks, however, show a slight increase from 26 to 29 per 

 haul. The total cod caught on all the stations in 1894 was 

 17, whereas in 1893 it was 34 ; gurnards in 1893 were 13 per 

 haul, in 1894 only 10. The numbers of the lemon-dab, turbot, 

 brill and sole were insignificant, and, as previously, showed 

 that the closure had no tendency to raise them. 



A feature deserving special notice is the fact that the 

 total of all kinds of fishes was the lowest in the series with the 

 exception of 1886, with its 17 hauls. Two of the months were 

 wintry, viz. February and December, while of the other two, 

 April holds an intermediate position. Thus only September 

 produced comparatively large numbers. A ship that could 

 only work in good weather was, besides, unfitted for such 

 investigations. 



During 1895 the work of the " Garland" in St Andrews Bay 

 was continued in March, April, June and October, and resulted 

 in the capture of 4469 saleable fishes and 1802 unsaleable, the 

 total of 6271^ being the fifth highest during the 10 years, those 

 of 1887, 1888, 1889 and 1890 exceeding it. But, as in other cases, 

 this high average, if we may judge from the irregularity of 

 the figures, seems to have no special significance further than 

 that three of the months were mild, and usually characterised 

 by high averages, while the third was less a winter month than 

 for example January and December. The average per haul 

 (313) was the second highest in the whole series of the decade, 

 the exceptionally favourable conditions of 1887 alone enabling 

 it to surpass it at the high figure of 408. On every station 



1 p. 19. 



2 Station VI. is dealt with separately. 



