222 



Part 1 1 I. —Twenty -fourth Annual Report 



On 13th June, in Aberdeen Bay, 31 specimens, computed to be about 

 1 year and 24 months old, measured from 14'3cm. to 23cm. (5§-9 ^fl- 

 inches), the mean size being 18'5cm., or 7^ inches. On the 28th, 19 

 caught in the "Doghole," in 65 fathoms, ranged from 19cm. to 26cm. 

 (7|-10| inches), the mean being 22cm., or 8§ inches ; the arithmetically 

 computed average was 2T9cm. 



In July two collections were made in Aberdeen Bay and one in the 

 Firth of Forth. In the former, on the 30th, 43 measured from 16'7cm. 

 to 28cm. (6|-11 inches), the average being 23cm., or 9^ inches; these 

 were taken at the " Doghole," in 62 fathoms. On the next day, 32, 

 caught in 11-13 fathoms, ranged from 167cm. to 27 - 9cm., or the same, 

 the average length being a little less, viz., about 22*5cm., or 8J inches. 



On the 23rd the collection in the Firth of Forth comprised 77 speci- 

 mens, about I year and 4 months old; they ranged from 15'2cm. to 

 30 cm. (6-1 1| inches), the average being 22cm., or 8| inches. 



On 21st August, 85, from the "Doghole," in 58 fathoms, were from 

 18'7cm. to 32*3cm. (7|-12| inches), the average being about 23'5cm., or 

 9| inches. Their age was about 1 year and 4 or 5 months. In the Firth 

 of Forth they were represented in three collections in August, as 

 follows:— On the 19th, 93 varied from 14*8cm. to 31*6cm. (5||~-12^ 

 inches), the average being 22 •5cm., or 8J inches ; on the 21st, 19 ranged 

 from 18 - 8 to 29'2cm. (7|-11| inches), the average being 23'5cm., or 9^ 

 inches; on the 22nd, 47 measured from 16*8cm. to 29*7cm. (6|-11| 

 inches), the average being 22*5cm., or 8g inches (fig. 5, pi. XII.). 



In September, in Aberdeen Bay, 167 were caught between the 3rd and 

 10th ; they ranged in length from 18Tcm. to 32cm. (7§-12| inches), the 

 average being about 25cm., or 9g inches. At Burgh ead Bay, on 7th 

 September, 34 ranged from 20"7cm. to 32'3cm. (8J-12-J-J- inches), the 

 mean size being about 26cm., or 10,| inches (fig. 6, pi. XII.). These 

 fish were one year and five or six months old. 



Several collections were got in October. In Aberdeen Bay, on the 

 18th, 37 measured from 22'2cm. to 35'8cm. (8j-14j inches), the mean 

 being 28*5cm., or 11 J inches. On the 31st, 13 ranged from 22*7cm. to 

 36cm. (8{|— 14 T 3 ^ inches), the mean being about 29cm., or lly^ inches. 

 The numbers of this series in the October collections from the Moray 

 Firth are small. In the Dornoch Firth, on the 22nd, two measured 

 21*9cm. and 31cm.; at Smith Bank, on the 23rd, six ranged from 

 23-2cm. to 39 6cm. (9J-15| inches; in Burghead Bay, on the 20th, 15 

 measured from 20*9cm. to 29'4cm. (8^-1 14 inches); and on the 23rd, 

 off Lybster, on the coast of Caithness, three were from 24'8cm. to 

 32-4cm. 



On 5th November, at the " Doghole," in 70 fathoms, 20 of this series 

 were obtained ; they ranged from 26*7cm. to 35"9cm. 10^-1 4 J inches), 

 the mean being about 30'5cm., or 12 inches. On the 28th. 43, taken 

 with the ordinary trawl-net in Aberdeen Bay, measured from 23-8cm. to 

 38Tcm. (9|— 15 inches), the mean being about 32cm., or 12| inches. On 

 the following day a collection of 135 belonging to this series ranged from 

 21-8cm. to 38 3cm. (8g-15 T ^ inches), the mean being 31cm., or \2\ 

 inches. These were about 1 year and 8 months old. 



In the Dornoch Firth, on the 9th and 10th, 1 1 3 measured from 20'7cm. 

 to 36'7cm. (8g-14 T 7 -g- inches), the average length being about 27 5cm., or 

 ll|f inches (fig. 6, pi. XII.). At Smith Bank, on the 8th, 42 ranged 

 from 25'9cm. to 40Tcm. (10 T 3 F -15| inches), the mean being 31 -5cm., or 

 12| inches. Off Lybster, on the 8th, 114 measured from 26'8cm. to 

 37 -8cm., (10|-14g inches), the average being 32cm., or 12| inches. 



In December, in Aberdeen Bay, 70 measured from 23cm. to 4T8cm. 



