158 INVESTIGATIONS IN FOKTH, 1898 AND 1894. 



decadence of the fisheries. The month of December, in which 

 9 hauls took place, showed a somewhat high average, viz. 

 117 per haul, as compared with 114 in November. Such 

 was chiefly due to the increased number of small cod and 

 haddocks. 



In 1894 seventy-one hauls of the trawl were made in the 

 Forth during nine months of the year, six of these, however, 

 belonging to the colder series, viz. January, February, March, 

 April, November and December, and only three pertaining to 

 the warmer, viz., June, August and September. The appor- 

 tionment of the working season therefore must have influenced 

 the results, since the productive months of July and October 

 were wholly absent. These 71 hauls captured a total of 1 9,581 

 fishes, the third highest in the series, the average per haul 

 being 275 — which held the same position. A striking feature, 

 as in 1890, was the large proportion of saleable fishes, viz. 

 15,349 or 216 per haul, a number exceeding any record during 

 the period, being 27 over 1890, 81 over the successful year 

 1887, and 69 over the preceding year (1898). The unsale- 

 able were 4,282 in number or 59 per haul, a very moderate 

 number, and no less than 184 per haul under the unsaleable 

 average of 1887. 



The influence of the colder months in affecting the average 

 of a year is clearly observed by taking the four warmer months, 

 viz. April, June, August and September, and contrasting them 

 with the average for the five colder, viz. January, February, 

 March, November and December. Although April is usually 

 classed with the colder months, it may be included on the 

 other side in the present instance, so as to give a fair field. 

 The number of hauls in the warmer months was 86 and the 

 average was 370 per haul\ a similar figure to that (378) ob- 

 tained, in 1887, when the favoured work was carried on in 

 July, August and September. If the five winter months of 

 1894 are now considered, the average of the 85 hauls is not 

 half the foregoing, or only 177 per haul. Nothing more con- 

 clusively shows that, in dealing with such questions, the utmost 



1 The 4 warmer months had each 9 hauls, the 5 winter were less regular, 

 February and March had each 9, January and November each 6, and December 5, 



