SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 



249 



Average catches of immature whiting on the Mersey 

 Shrimping Grounds during the years 1893-9 ; with the 

 temperature of the sea for the year 1905 : — 





No. of 

 hauls. 



Average 

 catch. - ;: 



Average tem- 

 perature of the 

 sea at the 

 surface (°C). 



January 



35 



33 



5-1 



February 



38 



62 



6'4 



March 



38 



213 



5-5 



April 



56 



99 



8-6 



May 



75 



83 



11-7 



June 



74 



28 



15 



July 



89 



711 



17-7 



August 



90 



911 



17-3 



September 



99 



759 



14-5 



October 



68 



466 



10-1 



November 



45 



250 



8-3 



December 



37 



48 





" 8-montkly averages taken monthly." 



That they may be the more easily understood I have 

 represented these results on the chart. The curve has 

 been " smoothed." 



Now, one must remember that the temperature obser- 

 vations are few and imperfect, and that the form of the 

 curve might be different if a more extensive series of 

 observations were available. Nevertheless, it will be seen 



