INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1889 — 1892. 191 



trawling in territorial waters must have served to protect 

 immature plaice (owing to their very special distribution) more 

 than the young of other fishes, this fish is diminishing in 

 abundance year by year," it is curious that in the Moray Frith, 

 the records of the year show that the number of plaice 

 captured there was nearly five times that of 1891, and the 

 highest in the whole decade. Such are the uncertainties of 

 fishing operations. Each haul yielded 174 plaice. Dabs, on 

 the other hand, were reduced by nearly one-half. 



The phenomenal total (for the region) of 1,238^ on Station 

 IV. along the shores of the Dornoch Frith on the 2nd of 

 September, is worthy of note. This was made up of 894 

 plaice, 309 dabs, and 35 other fishes. 



The closure of the entire Moray Frith on the 22nd Novem- 

 ber, 1892, caused the Fishery Board to increase the number of 

 stations in the area from 6 to 16. The ten additional Stations 

 are as follow : — 



YII. 3f miles oft Tarbet Ness E. by J S., length gi miles, 

 22 to 28 fathoms, sand and mud. 



YIII. 12 miles off Tarbet Ness E. by S., length SJ miles, 

 28 to 31 fathoms, sand and mud. 



IX. Parallel with VIII. and 4 miles further east, 3 miles 

 long, 28 to 32 fathoms, sand and mud. 



X. 3 J miles from Lossiemouth, 3 J miles long, 13 to 15 

 fathoms, sand and shells. 



XL Across Smith Bank, 5 miles long, E. by N., 18 to 25 

 fathoms, sand and shells. 



XII. At right angles to XL on Smith Bank, length 5 

 miles, depth 18 to 21 fathoms, sand and shells. 



XIII. Parallel with XIL, outside Smith Bank. 



XIV. 3 miles E. by S. i S. of Clyth Ness, 5 miles long, 30 

 fathoms, sand and shells. 



XV. lOi miles S.E. by E. of Ord of Caithness, 6 miles 

 long, 23 to 31 fathoms, sand and mud. 



XVL 18i miles N. of Macduff, 6 miles long, 34 to 36 

 fathoms, sand. 



1 To avoid complexity in tables a few (9) unsaleable fishes such as solenettes, 

 pipe-fishes, and sea-scorpions have been included. 



