SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 229 



to that made in Luce Bay on the date referred to. 

 The average haul made in the former area (Burbo 

 Bank shrimping ground), in October, 1893-1899, was as 

 follows* : — 



Soles 41 



Plaice 230 



Dabs 520 



Whiting , 512 



There are, of course, marked differences in the 

 catches made in the two areas. Thus, small soles, which 

 are fairly represented in the Mersey ground, were not 

 taken in Luce Bay, and small dabs were not relatively 

 abundant in the latter area. The great variety of small 

 gadoid fishes seen in Luce Bay, again, is seldom, if ever, 

 found in catches made off the Mersey. But these 

 differences are those which one might naturally expect 

 to find in the fish faunas of different grounds, and do not 

 militate against the idea that Luce Bay, as displayed in 

 the result of the catch referred to, is a small fish nursery. 

 We spent some time during September fishing for small 

 plaice in Liverpool Bay, for the transplantation experi- 

 ments of the Scottish Fishery Board, and in the majority 

 of the hauls made at that time more than 150 plaice (the 

 number taken in one haul in Luce Bay in October) were 

 seldom taken. 



But in this one haul in Luce Bay, not only was the 

 catch which we regard as characteristic of a nursery 

 ground made, but two large mature plaice (15-16 inches) 

 were also obtained, and it was, doubtless, due to the 

 fishing action of the shrimp trawl that more were not 

 taken. Taking into account the catches made with both 

 fish and shrimp trawls, it is evident that plaice of all 



* See Lancashire Sea Fisheries Laboratory Report for 1900, Table III, 

 P 



