184 Part III — Twenty -fourth Annual Report 



Lochfyne. 



The small plaice taken in Lochfyne were obtained by the push-net on 

 the beaches at low water, that is to say, in two or three feet of water at 

 that period of the tide. Those dealt with here were got in July and 

 August, 1901, and in June and July, 1903, the aggregate numbers being 

 4751 fish. They were taken at several different places in the loch, as 

 shown in Tables I. -III. (p. 243), most being got at Inveraray, vStrachur, 

 Big Harbour, and Salen. They all belonged to the same series, the fry 

 of the year, and consideration of their measurements gives an indication 

 of the rate of growth at this stage in Lochfyne. Taking first of all the 

 catches in July and August, 1901, it will be seen from the Tables that 

 the push-nettings in July, which were made between the 1st and 6th of 

 the month, resulted in the capture of a total of 3529 small plaice. The 

 sizes ranged from 12rnm. to 58mm., a difference of 46mm. The maximum 

 numbers were ranged about 2'5cm. to 3cm., and the average length was 

 computed to be 30'3m.m. (Plate XII.). 



The period in August when the collections were made was from the 

 28th to the 31st. The numbers were smaller, viz., 556 fish. They 

 ranged in size from 34mm. to 88mm., a difference of 54mm. The 

 greater numbers were ranged about 50mm., or more than 20mm. higher 

 than in July, and the average size was calculated to be 55-9mm., or an 

 increase of 25*6mm. (as near as possible, 1 inch) in the period, which 

 may be placed at 58 days from the middle of the one series of collections 

 to the middle of the other (Plate XII.). 



It is noteworthy that in some of the collections, most noticeably in 

 July, the plaice of one locality were sensibly larger than those of others, 

 a fact that was pointed out at the time by Mr. Danncvig. Taking the 

 four chief places at which collections were made in that month, the range 

 and averages in millimetres are as follows : — 





Number of 

 Fish. 



Smallest. 



Largest. 



Average. 



Inveraray, 



1,163 



19 



58 



35-9 



Strachur, .... 



668 



16 



51 



28-9 



Big Harbour, . 



822 



12 



51 



27-0 



Salen, .... 



806 



14 



51 



26-1 



[Table. 



