Ixviii Thirty 'third Annual Report of Fishery Board for Scotland. 



fathoms. In very shallow water spawning does not take place, and 

 newly-spawned eggs are rarely found there. No ripe plaice nor 

 newly-spawned eggs are found in the sandy bays of the East Coast of 

 Scotland, and they are also absent from the shallow waters of such 

 localities as the Dornoch Firth and Burghead Bay. Proximity to 

 the shore is not the dominant factor regulating the distribution of ripe 

 plaice, although large numbers of freshly-spawned eggs are often 

 found close to the land, in localities where there is a rapidly shelving 

 coast line, and where the conditions are otherwise suitable. Although 

 newly-spawned plaice eggs are found widely distributed in the zone 

 within the 50-fathom line, with the exception of the shallow coastal 

 area, spawning is most intense in the intermediate depths. The 

 frequency of spawning plaice is very low in depths between 40 and 

 50 fathoms. The observations show that the spawning plaice is 

 distinctly localised ; there are localities of higher and of lower density. 

 The most favourable spawning areas lie well within the Moray Firth, 

 and there is a gradual fall in the intensity of spawning from north to 

 south along the East Coast of Scotland. It may be said that the 

 chief spawning grounds on the East Coast lie in a narrow belt not more 

 than 20 miles from the coast, stretching from Montrose to Aberdeen. 

 There are also considerable differences from place to place as regards 

 the commencement of the spawning period. In general, the East 

 Coast of Scotland is a late spawning area, whereas, in the Moray 

 Firth, and especially in the Dornoch Firth, spawning begins early, 

 and in favourable years a few plaice may spawn even late in November. 



Dr. Bowman discusses the relationship between the spawning 

 localities of the plaice and the movement of the surface waters. His 

 paper is illustrated by a chart showing the chief spawning areas of the 

 plaice in the northern part of the North Sea. 



We have the honour to be, 



Sir, 



Your most obedient Servants, 



ANGUS SUTHERLAND, Chairman. 



W. LYON MACKENZIE, Deputy -Chair man, 



D'ARCY W. THOMPSON. 



BREAD ALBANE. 



JAMES ARCHIBALD. 



JOHN H. IRVIN. 



MALCOLM SMITH. 



DAVID T. JONES, Secretary. 



