176 



INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1895, 



resting that two of these have pelagic eggs (for we may include 

 the large eggs of the angler carried in sheets of mucus in this 

 category for the moment), and two demersal or attached, viz. 

 the wolf-fish and herring. The frog-fish (angler), so far as the 



The Acgler or Frog-fish, a destroyer of food-fishes. 



experiments show, was not affected by the closure either in 

 regard to increase or diminution, and the few sprats captured 

 indicate, in waters abounding with such small forms, how difficult 

 it is to estimate their numbers. The pelagic herring, again, 

 is quite independent of such measures as the closure, and the 

 few captured only indicate the shoals that frequent the mouth 

 of the Forth, especially in the first four months of the year. 

 Judging from the captures of the *' Garland," the autumn herrings 

 are much less numerous. Thus of saleable herrings in the ten 

 years 45 were captured in January, 49 in February, 8 in March 

 and 16 in April, while a blank occurred till November and 

 December, when 2 and 11 respectively were obtained. Herrings 

 under 7 inches were captured in the other months of the year 



