170 INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1895, 



The total for cod was 1,147 or 15 per haul, an average of 

 one under the previous year. All were saleable except r>Q. The 

 average is 3 above the favourable year of 1887, and third in the 

 list, the highest having occurred in 1890, when 23 per haul were 

 captured. The small trawl of the " Garland " was little adapted 

 for successful cod-fishing, the more so as work was carried on 

 solely by day. In the 14th Report a slight increase (of "7) is 

 stated to have occurred in the last five years of the period, but 

 this is just what would have been expected with so great a pro- 

 portion of the hauls during the winter months when cod specially 

 abound in the Forth and its neighbourhood. Consequently, 

 high figures for this fish are found in November, December 

 and January. A glance at the monthly periods and hauls 

 (Table XI.) will show the essential difference between the two 

 periods of five years in this respect. If it had been said that 

 out of the three highest monthly totals two of these occurred in 

 the latter five years, and thus was an evidence of increase of 

 the species following the closure, perhaps the argument would 

 have been more convincing. As it stands, the influence of the 

 closure on this species in the Forth is not appreciable. Like 

 other fishes, constant pursuit tends to render it more wary, and 

 to break up the shoals in the nearer waters, but the ubiquitous 

 distribution and the enormous powers of reproduction, together 

 with the curious migration of the very young cod to the lamina- 

 rious regioD, seem to be sufficient to enable the species to hold 

 its own. 



In the monthly totals (Tables XI. and XII.) during the 

 decade of the "Garland's" work in the Forth, January commences 

 with a proportionally high figure (990), higher, indeed, than 

 any of the previous fishes (viz. haddock, whiting, plaice, dab, 

 and long-rough dab), the numbers then decrease to May, rise to 

 August (1047), slightly diminish to November (858), and rise 

 in December to 1028, only 19 less than in August, a unique 

 condition amongst the important food-fishes. The attraction 

 offered by the herring in winter thus makes a noteworthy 

 change in the abundance of the cod. It is also equally evident 

 that there is a considerable diminution of this species in the 

 Forth at its spawning-period, when it apparently seeks the 



