of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 28 



fishes (Gadoids chiefly) or of Crustacea (chiefly Eupagurus bernhardus, but 

 one or two other species of Eupagurus, Nephrops, etc., were also occasionally 

 present). The stomachs containing Crustacea only, numbered about 65, and 

 those containing fish only, numbered about 43. In eight halibut stomachs 

 the food contents included a whiting and one or two small shell-fish. Another 

 contained the remains of four or five Munida bamffica and a small cuttlefish 

 (Eledone), while a third contained Nephrops and Gadus (?) esmarkii. The 

 entire contents of one stomach consisted of cuttlefish, one contained Annelids 

 only, and one part of a large Fusus aniiquus. 



The Gadoids met with most frequently consisted for the most part of 

 haddocks and whitings, a few of which were of fairly large size and measured 

 10, 11, and 12 inches in length. The remains of herrings were also 

 occasionally noticed ; one stomach contained a herring 9 inches long and a 

 fairly large cuttlefish — Loligo vulgaris. Another contained a herring about 

 7 inches long, which was sufficiently perfect to show that it had been feeding 

 largely on the Schizopod Thysanoessa neglecta before being captured by 

 the halibut. 



Among the Crustacea observed, the hermit crab [Eupagurus bernhardus) 

 was, as stated above, the more common form, but one or two specimens of 

 Fupagurus pubescens and Fupagurus cuanehsis also occurred. The few 

 Portuni observed were limited to P. holasatus and P. depurator. Two of 

 the stomachs examined in December contained each a specimen of Geryon 

 tridens, and one or two small Atelecyclus were also noticed. 



Differences in the Food of Larqe and Small Fishes. 



The only appreciable difference that could be observed in the food of the 

 larger halibut was that fishes appeared to be more frequently consumed, 

 while the smaller preyed more upon Crustacea. 



The stomachs examined in December were, for the most part, from halibut 

 three feet in length, and only a few from specimens over that size. 



January 1910. 



In January 1910, 91 halibut stomachs were examined, and 59 of these 

 contained food that could be identified ; none of the halibut were over three 

 feet in length. The food contained in 31 of the stomachs consisted entirely 

 of fishes, 19 contained Crustacea only, while in the remaining 11 the food 

 consisted partly of fish, partly of Crustacea, and also occasionally with the 

 remains of small cuttlefish. 



Fishes. 



The fishes observed belonged, for the most part, to the Gadoids, chiefly 

 haddocks and whitings, some of which were of tolerable size. In one stomach 

 the remains of two haddocks between 10 and 11 inches long were observed, 

 and a whiting 14 inches in length occurred in another, while in a third there 

 were two specimens of a coal-fish partly digested, the length of which would 

 be about 12 to 15 inches, but these were rather exceptional occurrences. 

 Other fishes observed included one or two Brassies, a few Norway pouts, and 

 the remains of what appeared to be a lemon sole, but the fish was too much 

 digested to be satisfactorily identified • sand-eels were also frequently met 

 with in. the stomachs of the smaller halibuts. In the stomach of one of these 

 I found a Pogge (Agonus cataphr actus), 4^ inches long and nearly perfect, 

 its hard scaly covering being nearly impervious to the solvent action of the 

 the gastric fluid. 



