2S 



Part III. — Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



numerous, the total number being 3908, of which 1430 were marketable 

 and 2478 unmarketable ; the former included 2 large, 100 medium, and 

 1328 small. The number of haddocks taken was 1888, of which 122 

 were marketable and 1766 unmarketable. Five codling, 2 lemon dabs, 

 and a number of common dabs and gurnards were comprised in the catch. 



The succeeding two drags were also exceedingly productive as far as 

 the number of fishes was concerned. In one, made in from 8 to 15 

 fathoms, and lasting for four hours and twenty-five minutes, the total 

 catch amounted to 5991, of which 916 were marketable and 5075 

 unmarketable. The latter filled nearly twenty baskets. The number of 

 plaice caught was 1623, 754 being marketable and 869 unmarketable — 

 the great proportion of the former being small, as in the previous drags. 

 Of 4091 haddocks, only 141 were of marketable size, 100 of them being 

 large and 41 medium. The other 3950 were thrown away. Eleven 

 codling were taken in this haul, as well as a turbot, 6 lemon dabs, and a 

 number of unmarketable common dabs. The next haul, in the same 

 locality for four hours and fifteen minutes, yielded 3939 fishes, of which 

 1378 were marketable and 2561 unmarketable. The plaice numbered 

 2552, the marketable aggregating 1273 and the unmarketable 1279. The 

 other flat-fishes were 11 lemon dabs and 67 common dabs. The haddocks 

 numbered 1118, of which 71 were marketable and 1047 unmarketable. 

 Three mackerel were taken in this drag. 



Altogether, in the six recorded hauls in the Dornoch Firth, the duration 

 of actual trawling being 23 hours and 45 minutes, the aggregate number 

 of fishes taken was 25,563, of which 6754 were marketable and 18,809 

 unmarketable, the percentage of the former being 26'5 and of the latter 

 73-5. The proportion of the unmarketable fishes was thus very large 

 and far above what is usual. In the February hauls the proportion was 

 almost exactly reversed, there being then 73 per cent, of the total catch 

 marketable and 27 per cent, unmarketable. The particulars of the 

 marketable and unmarketable of each kind of fish are as follows : — 





Cod. 



Codling. 



Haddock. 



Whiting. 



Gurnard. 



Plaice. 



Turbot. 



I. 

 II. 



19 



77 

 12 



394 

 9,967 



1 



52 



458 



6,160 

 7,450 



1 



Total 



19 



89 



10,361 



53 



458 



13,610 



1 





Common 

 Dab. 



Lemon 

 Dab. 



Witch. 



Long 

 Rough 

 Dab. 



Mackerel. 



Angler. 



Thorn- 

 back. 



I. 

 II 



7 



828 



50 



1 



23 



23 



16 



21 



3 



Total 



835 



50 



1 



23 



23 





24 



From this it will be seen that the total number of haddocks caught in 

 the six hauls was 10,361, and of these 9967, or 96 per cent., were 

 unmarketable, while the total number of plaice taken was 13,610, of 

 which 7450, or 54 per cent., were unmarketable. The difference between 



