SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY 



225 



some flounders were obtained, which measured from 13^ 

 to 16*- inches. A turbot 24 inches long was also caught 

 on the 18th October. Captain Wignall and the crew of 

 the steamer, who have a thorough acquaintance with the 

 kind of fish caught in in-shore waters in the Lancashire 

 and Western Fisheries District, all remarked on the 

 unusually larcre size of the dabs and flounders. 



Comparison with Previous Years' 

 Fishing . 



In all cases when fishing in Luce Bay we have used 

 uniform fishing gear (the trawl beam 30 feet long, and the 

 meshes of the net 7 inches throughout), and drags of about 

 one hour to an hour and a quarter have nearly always 

 been made. The results of each year's fishing can, there- 

 fore, be compared with each other. They are : — 



Year. 



Average catches of 

 Plaice. 



Average catches of all 

 food Fishes. 



1902 

 1903 

 1904 



179 



272 

 238 



132 

 197 

 154 



n the Tow- nettings Collected in 

 Luce Bay. 



Surface collections were taken by tow-net during 

 every drag with the fish trawl on both visits to this Bay. 

 The result of the examination is given below. The 

 difference in the general constituents of the surface life is 

 very slight. One or two of the organisms present in 

 October had apparently disappeared before the next visit 

 in November. On the other hand some forms found in 

 Xovember were not noted in October, 



