184 INVESTIGATIONS IN FORTH, SUMMARY. 



been nearer each other, there would have been an increase 

 instead of a diminution, as in the case of fishes of all kinds in 

 the Forth. The conclusion^ therefore "that there has been a 

 decrease in the abundance of flat fishes in the closed waters of 

 the Forth " rests on the most uncertain foundations, and is of 

 little moment in dealing with so large a question, especially 

 when there is appended to it the theory that the cause is the 

 over-fishing of the offshore waters in the neighbourhood. 



In the second period (1891 — 1895) the hauls were grouped 

 as follows, viz., 214 in the warmer months and 219 in the colder 

 months, or 5 in favour of the colder months. The very large 

 number of hauls in the warmer months probably gave a total so 

 substantial that not even the numerous hauls in the colder 

 months could reduce the average, especially since round fishes 

 were a prominent feature of the area, and occasionally occurred 

 in these colder months in considerable numbers. If the three 

 very productive months of July, August, and September in each 

 period are taken, it is found that in the first period (1886 — 

 1890) there were 16 hauls in July, 35 in August, and 24 in 

 September, or a total of 75 hauls, whereas in the second period 

 34 occurred in July, 38 in August, and 35 in September, 

 making a total of 107. Out of the six colder months only one 

 blank period (in November) occurred, whereas there were five 

 blanks in the warmer months. The fact, however, that there 

 was no falling off under these more equally balanced circum- 

 stances of warmer and colder months argues well for the 

 food- fishes of the Forth, and gives no ground for despairing 

 of the situation. 



1 Uth Report S. F. B. p. 138. 



