138 INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1888. 



In dealing with the work of this and the preceding year in 

 the Forth no support can be given to the conclusion indicated 

 on pp. 108 and 109 " that the suspension of trawling had been 

 followed by a great increase in the numbers of the fish in the 

 Frith of Forth." 



In 1888 the number of the hauls was greatly increased, viz. 

 to 50, and they extended over a period of six months, two of 

 which — November and December — were winter- months. These 

 produced 9,952 fishes, or only about 800 more than the 24 hauls 

 did during the warm months of 1887. Of this number the 

 saleable fishes made 8,928, or more than twice the number of 

 last year (leaving out of consideration for the moment the 

 greatly increased number of hauls), and the unsaleable 1,024. 

 The sizes were now affixed, so that comparisons with the 

 previous year need not be made on this head. Haddocks held 

 the first position, as formerly, with total of 2,225 or 44 per 

 haul; only 14 were large, the majority being medium (1512) 

 and small (692), the unsaleable amounting only to 7. The 

 average was thus about a third that of last year. The highest 

 number occurs in August (693), the next in September, then 

 October, June and December, the lowest being November with 

 only 105. The increase of the haddocks in December over 

 those in November was probably due to the presence of herring 

 in the Forth. Plaice again follow with a total of 2,028 all 

 saleable, or an average of 40 per haul, considerably under the 

 previous year. It is interesting to notice that the plaice follow 

 a similar relative increase to that of the haddocks from June to 

 October, but that a sudden and great fall takes place in No- 

 vember and December — out of all proportion to that in the 

 haddock, the number in December being only ji^th of that in 

 June, whereas in the haddock the captures in December were 

 only 17 less than in June and in the case of the whiting 19 

 more than in June. It is the remarkably low averages in the 

 two winter months in such as the plaice which accentuate the 

 difference between 1887 and 1888. Whitings come next plaice 

 with a total of 1,378 (only 30 of which were unsaleable) or an 

 average per haul of 25, or 10 over the average per haul of last 

 year. They followed the haddocks closely in regard to the 



