186 INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1884. 



respect. The paucity of whiting was equally noteworthy, while 

 grey gurnards especially abounded, almost all being full-grown 

 fishes, only one or two from 7 to 8 inches having been obtained. 

 The proportion per haul is 116, whereas in the Forth it is 59. 

 The cat-fishes were also numerous, but being unsaleable at 

 Macduff were thrown overboard. The vessels did not seem to 

 work much longer on this bank, a considerable diminution of 

 the fishes having occurred. The captures made on the present 

 occasion were not heavy, and the long journey was expensive." 



The foregoing is probably a reliable view of the condition of 

 the fishes of the region at a time when little agitation existed 

 in the neighbourhood, and when the strong statements con- 

 cerning the depopulation of the waters of the Frith by trawlers 

 were seldom heard. 



The three hauls of the trawl produced 2,711 saleable fishes, 

 or 903 per haul (Tables XIII. and XIV.), a very moderate number 

 in contrast with some of those off the Forth the same season, 

 and which produced from 1,500 to 2,744 per haul of saleable 

 fishes. Indeed, the oft- quoted St Andrews Bay occasionally 

 gave as many saleable fishes per haul in 1884, so that in those 

 early days when trawling had made comparatively little pro- 

 gress in the Moray Frith the captures were not remarkable. 

 Only a single grey skate and a single starry ray occurred. The 

 total number of cod was 102, or 34 per haul, a considerably 

 higher average than generally met with during the experi- 

 ments, yet it was not to be compared in value with three hauls 

 off the Forth 9 or 10 days later in the same season, since the 

 majority (64) in the Moray Frith were young cod (codling), 

 only 38 being adults, whereas off the Forth three hauls pro- 

 duced 84 adult cod and only 13 codling. In the latter area a 

 congregation had probably taken place at the spawning season, 

 whereas in the former (viz. the Moray Frith) such a congrega- 

 tion may only have been commencing. All the haddocks 

 captured were large, and their numbers were considerable, viz. 

 a total of 1,812, or 604 per haul; yet this fell far short of such 

 a haul as II. (off the coast of Haddington) in January, which 

 gave 959 large and 905 small haddocks. The number, how- 

 ever, far exceeds that captured in April, 1884, iu any other 



