SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 313 



of the yearly progress of the fishery which is probably not 

 far from the truth. Practically no fish are caught during 

 the months of April and May ; the catch then rises at first 

 rapidly and then more slowly till November, when it 

 rises rapidly to its maximum about the end of December. 

 The mean catch then falls very rapidly towards the 

 minimum, in March. The drop at the end of December 

 is generally very striking, but this is due, to some extent 

 at least, to the fact that most of the boats cease fishing 

 during the Christmas week. 



The different years show fluctuations which appear 

 to have a real existence. The year 1909 was exceptional 

 in that the fishery did not rather suddenly cease about 

 the end of December, but continued on into the January 

 and February of the following year, attaining its 

 maximum in January. The fishery was again exceptional 

 in 1910, not only in that a certain noticeable quantity 

 of fish was caught throughout the entire year, but in 

 that the quantity caught during December was greatly 

 above the mean. In 1911, the fishery during November 

 and December was below the mean, and in 1912 the 

 lowest catches during the four years were made. 



In all the years the fishery appears to begin during 

 June. But the time of the maximum varies from year 

 to year : it was in January in the winter of 1909-10, in 

 December in 1910, about the end of November in 1911, 

 and about the end of October in 1912. 



Assuming that these statistics really represent the 

 progress and productivity of the fishery — there are no 

 means apparent of checking their accuracy, and we must 

 make this assumption — some relation between the 

 fluctuations in productivity and the date of the maximum 

 may be sought. The only hypothesis which seems to be 

 suggested by the study of the experimental and hydro- 



