of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



185 



The contrast between two of the places may be brought out in the 

 following manner by comparing the sizes at Inveraray and Strachur, 

 reduced to percentages, the number of fish being in the former case 1163 

 and in the latter 668, and both series collected on the same days {see 

 fig. 3, pi. xii.) :— 



Cm. 



Strachur. 



Inveraray. 



1 







■5 



015 





2 



8-50 



0-08 



•5 



37-90 



2 90 



3 



35-90 



25-50 



5 



11-80 



37-40 



4 



4 20 



20-40 



•5 



1-00 



8-80 



5 



0-40 



3-60 



•5 





1-10 



6 





0-08 



It may be said that in August the average size and the minimum size 

 were also larger at Inveraray than at Strachur, the average at the former 

 place being 66'5mm. and at the latter 52-Omm., while the minimum sizes 

 were 48mm. and 34mm. In the collections in June and July, 1903, the 

 same feature is repeated, thus : — 





Date. 



X umber of 

 Fish. 



Smallest. 



Largest. 



Average. 



Inveraray, . 



J une 22 



86 



17 



47 



277 



Strachur, . 



„ 24 



94 



15 



29 



19-94 



Inveraray, . 



July 10, 11 



105 



17 



50 



30-4 



Strachur, . 



„ 13 



50 



19 



57 



26-8 



The explanation put forward by Mr. Dannevig to account for this 

 difference was the probability that the temperature at Inveraray is higher 

 than at Strachur, owing to the former locality being less affected by the 

 deep-water tidal currents, and he pointed out that the size of the small 

 plaice at the top or upper parts of the loch appears to be slightly greater 

 than at the lower parts near the mouth. So far as the somewhat limited 

 observations on the temperature are available they seem to show a rather 

 higher temperature at Inveraray, as a rule, but not always. 



The other collections referred to in the Tables were made in June and 

 July, 1903. The period in June extended from the 22nd to the 26th, 

 and the small plaice caught numbered 218. They ranged in size from 

 15mm. to 47mm., a difference of 32mm., and the average length was 

 computed to be 23'9mm. The greater number ranged about 20mm., but 

 it would appear from the curve (fig. 2, plate XII.) that the smaller sizes 

 were not fully represented. 



In July the collections were made from the 10th to the 13th. The 

 number of plaice taken was 448, ranging in size from 17mm. to 57mm., 

 the average being 29-Omm., or only about 5mm. higher than in June. 

 The interval may be placed at about 18 days. 



