of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



45 



Arrangements for carrying on the Work. 



As it was necessary that the trawling operations should be carried out 

 in a thorough and systematic manner, and that all the areas should be 

 studied in relation to each other as well as separately, it was thought 

 desirable to place a naturalist on board the 1 Garland.' Mr Calderwood, 

 who had already gained considerable experience in dredging and trawling 

 work in the Moray Firth and in Loch Fyne, was selected for this post. 



After the winch and other fittings had been completed, and several pre- 

 liminary trials made, the 'Garland' was reported on the 15th June as 

 ready to begin the regular trawling and other operations. While the 

 ' Garland ' was being adapted for her unique mission, we had under con- 

 sideration how the work should be carried on. This was a difficult 

 problem owing to the areas selected differing greatly from each other. 

 The Forth, e.g., consists partly of water undergoing constant variations, 

 and partly of water in which the conditions from top to bottom remain 

 almost unchanged. In St Andrews Bay, on the other hand, there is no 

 true estuary at the mouth of the Tay, no piece of water corresponds to 

 that which in the Forth lies between Inchkeith and the sea ; and 

 Aberdeen Bay differs from both, for there is attempt at an estuary, the 

 fresh water running directly into the salt without altering appreciably 

 the bottom salinity. Further, while Aberdeen and St Andrews Bays 

 are almost entirely floored with sand, which gradually approaches the 

 surface towards the shore, the bottom in the Forth consists of a series of 

 banks, and depression of a most irregular character (see sections, Plate II. ) 

 some of them composed of mud and sand, others chiefly of shells and 

 gravel. 



After gaining all the information available from fishermen and others, 

 we came to the conclusion that, for our experiments, the 1 Garland ' should 

 periodically trawl over nine separate fishing banks or stations (see chart, 

 Plate I.), in or near the Firth of Forth. 



In St Andrews Bay we ascertained that it mattered little which lines 

 were selected for trawling, there being no special fishing banks where the 

 same vertebrate and invertebrate forms are invariably found. The same 

 applies to Aberdeen Bay, hence in laying down lines we considered 

 chiefly how the various portions of the bays might be most effectively 

 tested. The lines (stations) in St Andrews Bay are indicated in the 

 chart, Plate I. In Aberdeen Bay six stations were selected which 

 have a similar disposition to those in St Andrews Bay. 



Mr Calderwood, on joining the 1 Garland,' was instructed to superin- 

 tend the traw T ling and dredging operations, the collection of surface forms, 

 preservation of specimens, taking of temperatures, and especially to note 

 carefully and accurately the number and size of all the fish captured by 

 the trawl from the various stations which had been selected for obser- 

 vation. 



Special forms were prepared to admit of a complete record being kept 

 of the fish taken by the trawl, dredge, and tow net, and of the 

 temperature, state of the weather, &c. The 1 Garland ' was supplied with 

 charts, showing the extent and direction in which the trawl was to be 

 carried in working over the various trawling stations, and with several 

 books of reference, bottles, tanks, &c, for the preservation of spawn, 

 young fish, Crustacea, and other objects which required to be afterwards 

 examined or identified. Recently a complete set of thermometers and 

 other instruments for making physical observations have been provided, 

 and the necessary instructions given for their use. 



