104 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



14 inches in extreme length were at once separated out 

 and brought back alive. The number of these obtained 

 in each haul is given in the Table, and is about 115 per 

 cent, of the total number caught. The sizes of the fish 

 caught were, so far as could be judged by a mere inspec- 

 tion, very similar in each haul, and it was considered 

 sufficiently exact to measure the individual fish in one 

 catch only, and assume that the average so obtained 

 applied to all the others. This was done for the first haul 

 and an average length of about ll'l inches was obtained. 

 As the net used had a uniform mesh of 7 inches (If inches 

 along each side), and the drags were short ones, no plaice 

 of less than 8 inches in length were obtained. 



The size of the plaice obtained in the preserved waters 

 of Luce Bay is in striking contrast to that of the plaice 

 which inhabit the corresponding areas in the Lancashire 

 and Western Fisheries District. We have no reason to 

 suppose that Luce Bay is a better feeding ground, or 

 differs in any essential respect from many plaice grounds 

 in the former area. The nature of the bottom, the depth 

 and physical condition of the water, the bottom and 

 pelagic faunas resemble closely the corresponding condi- 

 tions on many extensive areas on the North-west Coast of 

 England. Still, there is no inshore area known to us 

 where 10 per cent, of the plaice caught are over 14 inches, 

 and a fair proportion are 18 or 20 inches in length. The 

 only difference is that Luce Bay has been closed against 

 trawling of every kind for about 16 years, while every 

 plaice ground off the Lancashire and Cheshire coast is the 

 scene of an active trawl fishery, with only very limited 

 restrictions in force. There appears to be no doubt that 

 the comparatively large size of the plaice on this portion 

 of the Scottish coast is directly due to the prohibition of 

 trawling, and conversely that the much smaller average 



