of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 29 



the February and September hauls in regard to the numbers of small 

 unmarketable fishes may be contrasted by comparing the numbers taken 

 per hour's fishing, as follows : — 



Marketable. Unmarketable. Total. 



February 181 67 248 



September 284-4 791*9 1076-3 



The proportion of small plaice and especially small haddocks, differed 

 very much, as the following figures of the numbers taken on each occasion 

 per hour's fishing show. 





Haddock. 



Plaice. 



Market- 

 able. 



Unmarket- 

 able. 



Total. 



Market- 

 able. 



Unmarket- 

 able. 



Total. 



February, - 

 September, - 



0-23 

 16-6 



0-11 

 419-6 



0 34 

 436-2 



140-4 

 259-3 



43-5 

 313-7 



184 

 573 



The circumstances show to what an extent the capture of immature 

 specimens of these fishes may take place at some seasons in bays by the 

 use of the trawl-net. All the young haddocks taken in this way 

 probably perish, and there is no doubt that the great majority of the 

 young plaice perish likewise, although, apart from previous experiments 

 recorded on the point, there are reasons for supposing that under 

 favourable conditions a considerable number may survive. Thus, in 

 February, Dr. Williamson observed that some of the small plaice which 

 had been lying all night in a basket along with a number of other small 

 fish taken in the small-meshed net were alive at 10.30 next morning. 

 When placed in a bucket of sea water they swam about freely. 



After leaving the Dornoch Firth, a haul, which lasted two hours and 

 twenty minutes, was made outside the entrance to Cromarty Firth, the 

 depth being about twelve fathoms. The catch was a small one, consisting 

 of 479 fishes, of which 182 were marketable and 297 unmarketable. 

 Haddocks were present in greatest abundance, 395 being taken, of which 

 141 were marketable and 254 unmarketable. The other round-fishes 

 comprised 2 cod, 7 codling, 2 small whiting, and 4 gurnards. The number 

 of plaice was 61, of which 35 were marketable and 26 unmarketable; the 

 only other flat-fish represented was the common dab, of which there 

 were 6. 



Burghead Bay was then visited and a number of hauls taken in depths 

 ranging from about 5 to 15 fathoms. In the first, in from 5 to 12 

 fathoms, which lasted for four hours and thirty-five minutes, 3901 fishes 

 were secured, 1479 being marketable and 2422 unmarketable. Plaice 

 and haddocks formed the bulk of the catch. Of the former the number 

 obtained was 1460, of which 1194 were marketable and 266 unmarketable 

 — a proportion contrasting with the condition in the Dornoch Ftrth. 

 Small haddocks were, however, very numerous, for of a total of 1334 

 haddocks caught only 29 were marketable, the remaining 1305 being too 

 small to be taken to market. The catch included among round-fishes 1 



