368 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
by the trawlers (70,440 cwts.) was followed by an increase in 
value (£47,100)—probably because the proportion of small fishes 
was less than usual. Line-fishing still maintained its superiority 
in regard to the capture of Ling. 
The trawlers landed 1,563,247 cwts. of round fishes, the 
greatest amount both in weight and value (£729,822) during the 
decade. The whole of the increase in value was referable to the 
Aberdeen district. As an example of the changed circumstances, 
it may be noted that, whilst in 1898 the liners landed one and a 
half times the quantity of Whitings obtained by the trawlers, 
the latter now land five times the quantity procured by trawlers. 
The flat fishes caught by the liners in 1905 amounted to 
111,941 cwts. = £72,961, a decrease on the previous year of 
9170 cwts. and £7742. The Board attributes the decrease partly 
to the stormy weather and to the greater facilities which trawlers 
have of despatching fresh fishes. Plaice caught jointly by liners 
and trawlers showed a decline from the preceding year of 
10,2380 cwts. and £9481, the failure of the line-fishing in 
Anstruther and Montrose districts being especially noteworthy 
in this respect. There are other causes, however, which the 
Board does not allude to, such as the absence in eertain places 
of that whole-hearted energy which alone can give success in 
sea-fishing. 
The trawlers caught 177,472 cwts. of flat fishes, a decrease 
on the previous year of 3237 cwts. and £4769. No fish has 
been so often brought forward as indicating the decline of the 
sea-fisheries as the Lemon-dab, which ere now, according to 
these views, should have been on the verge of extinction. Yet 
in the returns this fish, almost wholly caught by trawlers, stood 
at 30,850 cwts. = £55,879—an increase over the previous year 
of 15 and 11 per cent. respectively in weight and value. Turbot 
showed a decrease of 300 cwts. and £1900. 
The total amount of fishes (exclusive of shell-fishes) was 
7,856,310 cwts., a decrease on the record figures of the previous 
year of 91,519 cwts., but the value of the year’s catch was 
the highest on record, viz. £2,649,148, and exceeded that of 
1904 by £146,480. The Fishery Board looks on value as the 
‘“‘true test,” and therefore rightly considers the result highly 
satisfactory. Much of this was due to the large catch of 
