198 INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1896 AND 1897. 



spawning grounds " had, so far as these statistics showed, given 

 no sign of success, and if they should be prolonged to 14 or even 

 to 40 years, it is unlikely that the arrangements of nature in 

 the open ocean would be materially altered. Even the laborious 

 collection of the statistics of the white fishes caught by the 

 liners in the enclosed area do not improve the situation, for 

 instead of the 4*77 cwts. per haul of 1895, they show only 4*26 

 cwts. in 1896. They go far to demonstrate, however, that with 

 an efficient ship the Board's returns might have been different, 

 though such might not have altered the conclusions to be 

 drawn from them. 



On the outer stations (VII. to XVI.) the same number of 

 hauls took place — yielding a total of 3,869 fishes, or 214 per 

 haul, an increase of 14 over the previous year. Of this number 

 2,409, or 133 per haul, were saleable, and 1,460, or 81 per haul, 

 unsaleable \ 



Here also the dabs surpass the others in numbers, a feature 

 seldom or never observed on board a commercial trawler, their 

 average being 94 per haul, or nearly double that of the previous 

 year. The saleable plaice reached only about 2 per haul, 

 lemon-dabs were fewer than in 1895, and so with long-rough 

 dabs and haddocks, which had an average of 43 per haul, 

 iu contrast with 2 per haul on the inner stations. Gurnards 

 had increased (chiefly in October) by 5 per haul. One of the 

 features of the Frith, in common with the neighbouring waters, 

 was the frequent occurrence of hake, which are seldom seen in 

 St Andrews Bay or in the Forth. Witches or pole-dabs are 

 also characteristic of the softer grounds. 



During 1897 twelve hauls of the trawl took place in the 

 months of June and November (six in each) on the inner 

 stations (I. to VI.), resulting in a total of 1,770 fishes, or 147 

 per haul, a considerable increase (61 per haul) on the previous 

 year, which Avas the fourth in a gradually diminishing series. 

 The average is but a moderate one, not half that of 1893, and 

 about half that of 1892. Of saleable fishes there were 1,110, 



1 A few fishes such as the butter-fish, dragonet and pogge are included ; but 

 their numbers are insignificant and have no influence on the totals. The angler 

 is only occasionally sold. The unsaleable, therefore, chiefly include the immature. 



