SCIENTIFIC WORK IN THE SEA-FISHERIES. 259 



fishes landed at Aberdeen do not appear, mathematically 

 treated,* or otherwise, to have produced results of moment, 

 though elaborate curves are given of the increase or decrease of 

 particular fishes in each of Fulton's squares in the northern 

 part of the North Sea.t We are told, however, " that by these 

 methods, if we only had statistics enough, we should mark down 

 accurately for each fish the time of the coming at every position 

 in the North Sea, and then, weaving all the facts together, show 

 the route followed in the migration of any species " — amongst 

 which the Wolf-fish or Cat-fish seems to be included. While a 

 tribute may be paid to this enthusiasm, it must be confessed that 

 not even the use of a Brunsviga calculating machine for the 

 averages impresses the reader of the importance, in view of the 

 practical question demanding solution, of all these pages of 

 curves and tables. One feature nevertheless is apparent, viz. 

 that the fisheries of the North Sea, including the grounds long 

 fished and near the Scottish shores, are in a sound condition, a 

 conclusion, however, arrived at long before these international 

 investigations commenced. Perhaps one of the most interesting 

 contributions in this ' Blue Book ' is the series of monthly maps 

 showing the position of liners and trawlers throughout the year. 

 From these charts alone evidence of the wide distribution of the 

 food-fishes on the old grounds as well as on the new is unmistak- 

 able. They constitute, indeed, an answer in facts to certain 

 aspects of the impoverishment theory. 



The Scotch Board's further contribution on " The Distribu- 

 tion and Seasonal Abundance of Flat-fishes in the North Sea," 

 by Dr. Fulton, is also largely a statistical paper — from the 

 author's position at the great fishing centre of Aberdeen. Though 

 it omits many previous observations, it would be improved by 

 condensation, especially as Dr. Henking's work on the fishes of 

 the North Sea and the Cattegat, and Dr. Heincke's, overlap it so 

 far as the flat-fishes are concerned. 



One of the main points in this paper is what is called comple- 

 mentary and compensatory fluctuations in these statistics, viz. — 

 one form taking the place of another, e.g. the " Whitch " in 

 square xiv, near the Fair Isle, during winter taking the place of 



* Mathematical theory of probabilities. 



f The reporter thinks Witches or Pole-dabs recent fishes in the market. 

 This is scarcely correct. 



x2 



