168 INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1895, 



highest, 3,426, being in September; July follows with 2,844, 

 and June with 2,400, then May with 1,982, whilst January 

 and December are lowest. 



Dabs follow with a total of 2,748 or 36 per haul, seven under 

 that of last year. Of this number 1,751 or 28 per haul were 

 saleable, and 997 or 13 per haul were unsaleable. This form 

 has on the whole kept up fairly throughout, now rising now 

 falling in the usual manner. It cannot be said that unrestricted 

 fishing outside steadily affected this species, nor is there evidence 

 of accumulation. Beginning with an average of 29 per haul in 

 1886 it ran up suddenly to 48 in 1887, then next year w^as 

 reduced to exactly half the number, and in 1889 to three less, 

 then the average improved to 33 in 1892, fell next year to 27, 

 rose to 37 in 1893 and to 43 in 1894. Ingenious arguments 

 explaining the increase of the ubiquitous dabs and long- rough 

 dabs as due to their facility in escaping where the more valu- 

 able plaice cannot pass through the meshes of the commercial 

 trawl find no support from these investigations. The dab holds 

 its own, irrespective of line or trawl, both in the enclosed and 

 in the open waters of the British seas. 



During the decade, the highest numbers occurred in Sep- 

 tember, viz. 4,740, though August was very little behind, viz. 

 4,678. It is interesting to notice the gradual rise from January 

 to September, then the decadence in October, and the rapid fall 

 to December. These variations are seasonal and present no 

 feature attributable to the influence of man. 



The long-rough dab comes next with a total of 2,176 or an 

 average of 29 per haul, the same as last year. Of this number 

 861 or 11 per haul were saleable, and 1,315 or 17 per haul 

 unsaleable. Beginning in 1886 with an average of 15 per haul, 

 it suddenly rose in 1887 to 28 per haul, then sunk the following 

 year to less than half (13), and again gradually rose with a little 

 irregularity to 29 per haul. A consideration of the irregularities 

 in the working-periods of the first five years and of the second 

 five years respectively, of the fact that there was a decrease 

 of this species in the second five years in St Andrews Bay, and 

 of its ubiquitous distribution in inshore and offshore waters, 

 would not lead to the conclusion that the slight increase in the 



