INVESTIGATIONS IN MORAY FRITH, 1897. 199 



or 92 per haul, and unsaleable G60, or 55 per haul. While 

 June in other areas has not been one of the most productive 

 months, and November is classed with the unproductive, yet, 

 in this instance, the peculiarity exists of a higher average in 

 November than in June, viz. an average of 205 in the former 

 and less than half, 87, for the latter. A tendency to this 

 condition had been noticed in former years, e.g. in 1896, in 

 which the total of 4 hauls in November exceeded that of 6 

 hauls in August. The marked differences in the captures 

 of haddocks, dabs, and plaice, in the present instance (1897) 

 sufficiently account for this feature. Thus in June they were 

 respectively 10, 196, and 76, whereas in November they were 

 35, 537, and 473. Plaice thus showed an increase of 397, and 

 dabs of 341. Of the eight months during which operations in 

 the Moray Frith were carried out in the years 1887 — 1897, 

 a period of eleven years, the highest average occurs in October, 

 September being next, then August, July, November, May, 

 June, and April. November stands thus as fifth in the series. 

 The number of hauls, however, is comparatively small, so that 

 too much weight need not be put on this feature, but it 

 is necessary to allude to it. 



As in 1896, the dab was the most plentiful fish, the average 

 per haul (61) being almost twice as great as in the year 

 just mentioned. Only a single dab over 11 inches was obtained, 

 the majority (446) being unsaleable, while 286, from 7 to 

 11 inches, were saleable. This average (61) was precisely that 

 with which the experiments began in 1887, the numbers 

 falling to half next year, and the following to only 18 per haul, 

 then springing up to 72 and 141, the latter being the highest 

 average during the 11 years, and from work done only in the 

 month of September. It does not follow, however, that this 

 month always held the same position, for the following year the 

 average was only 85. After rising to 131 in 1893, it fell during 

 the next three years to 31, the second lowest average of the 

 series. The average for the five years 1887-91 was 68, and 

 for the six years, 1892-97, 77, but work was carried on thrice 

 in October, the most productive month in this area, whereas in 

 the first period this month was absent. As in other instances 



