178 



INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, 1895, 



It need not be said that they give but a feeble indication of the 

 vast numbers of herrings occasionally present in the inshore 

 and the offshore waters, yet they aid in familiarizing us with 

 the true facts of the case. 



The Forth is a favourite habitat of the cat-fish or wolf- 

 fish, which is "born and bred" within its limits, especially 

 on the stony ground near Crail. In no form is the contrast 

 greater between the Forth and St Andrews Bay, since they 

 are seldom caught in the latter. The cat-fish, moreover, 

 from its habits, is one that ought to have been benefited by 





Herring 







Wolf-fish (Cat-fish) 







Unsaleable 



Saleable 



Total 



Unsaleable 



Saleable 



Tot£ 



January 



7 



45 



52 



— 



28 



28 



February 



51 



49 



106 



2 



48 



50 



March 



8 



8 



16 



3 



54 



57 



April 



28 



16 



44 



1 



74 



75 



May 



10 



— 



10 



1 



87 



88 



June 



44 



— 



44 



1 



53 



54 



July 



10 



— 



10 



— 



12 



12 



August 



— 



— 



— 



— 



6 



6 



September 



1 



— 



1 



— 



1 



1 



October 



2 



— 



2 



— 



2 



2 



November 



15 



2 



17 







3 



3 



December 



11 



11 



22 



— 



9 



9 













Wolf-fish. 











1886 



1887 



1888 



1889 



1890 



1891 



1892 



1893 



1894 



1895 



Total 















1 







5 



7 



4 



5 



6 



28 



— 



— 



— 



7 



3 



12 



2 



10 



13 



5 



50 



— 



— 



— 



1 



6 



4 



26 



— 



16 



4 



57 



— 



— 



— 



12 



7 



7 



9 



10 



19 



11 



75 



— 



— 



— 



6 



10 



21 



4 



16 



— 



31 



88 







1 



4 



7 



— 



— 



32 



7 



3 







54 



— 



— 



— 



2 



1 



2 



1 



2 



— 



4 



12 



— 



— 



2 



1 



— 



2 



— 



— 



1 



1 

 2 



6 



1 

 2 



— 



— 



1 



1 



1 



— ■ 



— 



— 



— 



— 



3 



— 



— 



— 



— 



1 



5 



— 



2 



— 



1 



9 



— 



1 



7 



38 



29 



58 



81 



51 



57 



65 





the closure. It is a comparatively sedentary form in adult life, 

 being only pelagic in its post-larval condition. But it is a 

 species frequently caught by the liners, and hence was affected 

 by other agencies. Beginning with a single example in 24 

 hauls in 1887, the average slightly rose in 1888, and still more, 



