136 INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1887. 



doubled, though, just as in the case of St Andrews, it was by 

 the great abundance of the unsaleable, indeed, the saleable 

 fishes were no less than 1,392 below what they were the 

 previous year, a fact which is important. With 3 hauls less 

 than in 1886, viz. 24, a total of 9,094 or 3,257 saleable and 

 5,837 unsaleable fishes were obtained. The most abundant fish 

 was the haddock, which formed about a third of the entire 

 captures, viz. 3,101, or an average of 129 per haul. These 

 fishes were therefore 45 per haul over those of the preceding 

 season. The highest figures (saleable and unsaleable inclusive) 

 occurred in August, apparently when the young haddocks were 

 seeking the inshore waters from their birthplaces in the 

 offshore, for 1,007 unsaleable forms and 100 saleable w^ere then 

 captured, the next in order with 1,012 being September, while 

 June had 982. Plaice, as in the preceding year, followed with 

 a total of 1753 or an average of 73 per haul, nearly double that 

 of 1886, dabs with a total of 1157 or 48 per haul, lemon-dabs 

 1,129 or 47 per haul, long-rough dabs 682, whiting 383, gur- 

 nards 377 or 15 per haul. The area showed a considerable 

 number of grey skate, flapper-skate and herrings (32), and a 

 single mackerel, sole, catfish and bib were obtained. 



As in the previous year, it was the presence of large 

 numbers of small haddocks that chiefly raised the average of 

 the captures to 378 per haul, just as in St Andrews Bay it was 

 the increased number of plaice that raised its average to 341. 

 The one seemed to be a harbour for the round fishes, the other 

 for the flat fishes. The increase, however, was much greater in 

 the case of the plaice. 



The highest average occurred in August, for 7 hauls pro- 

 duced 3,004 fishes or 429 per haul ; the next was June, 9 

 hauls with 3,317 fishes or 360 per haul, and lastly, September 

 with 8 hauls gave 2,713 or 339 per haul. Though these were 

 considerably higher than in the same months of the previous 

 year, yet, in July 1886, the average per haul was still higher, 

 viz., 552. Such are the uncertainties ever recurring in these 

 pursuits, even with all the parallel advantages of favourable 

 months. 



The highest average is at Station II. off the Fife shore — 



