INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1891. 151 



apt to come in the way of the trawl. The fact that they are 

 caught in considerable numbers by the trawl would show 

 however that they share the same danger, and are to be judged 

 by a similar standard. 



The total for the haddocks was 1,435 or 13 per haul, the 

 lowest on the list for the ten years. Of this number 1,301 

 were saleable and 134 unsaleable. The contrast between this 

 year and 1887 is marked, since the amount is only about jq^^ 

 of what it was in the latter. It would be unsafe, however, to 

 say that the haddock was disappearing, since within a year or 

 two the waters of the east coast swarmed with young haddocks, 

 to the annoyance of the fishermen, and the " Garland's " cap- 

 tures four years subsequently had an average of 2 per haul 

 above those of 1886. 



The total for cod was 1,229 or 11 per haul. Of this number 

 1,123 or 10 per haul were saleable and 106 or 1 per haul 

 unsaleable. This was but half the number procured in 1890. 

 While in the latter year the maximum occurred in November, 

 this year it was in January, a feature probably due to the 

 prevalence of herrings or other food in the Forth. The average 

 was three above what it was in 1887. 



Lemon-dabs were somewhat more numerous than in 1890 

 by about 1 per haul, the total being 1,135 or 10 per haul. 

 Only 49 were unsaleable. Their maximum occurred in July. 



In regard to the total quantities of all kinds of food-fishes 

 on the various stations, a slight increase (3) on the previous 

 year in the average per haul occurs at I., a decrease of 37 at II., 

 a decrease of 108 at III., an increase of 105 at IV., a' decrease 

 of 110 at v., a decrease of 20 at VI., of 113 at VII., of 201 at 

 VIII., and of 94 at IX. 



Just as in St Andrews Bay, the average of this year was 

 low, the second lowest indeed in the whole series in the Forth. 

 The causes of this depression to some extent lay in the in- 

 clusion of all the winter months (every month of the year being 

 represented), and probably also to the weather, mode of work- 

 ing and state of the tide, as in St Andrews Bay. 



During the year 1892 a new station (X.) was added to those 

 already existing at the mouth of the Forth, but no mention is 



