xvi 



Thirty-fourth Annual Report 



The total number of fish marked was 1748, being 378 salmon, 

 1295 grilse, and 75 sea trout. 



The recaptures during the same season's fishing of fish marked 

 in the season (1915) amount to 438, being 105 salmon, 322 grilse, and 

 11 sea trout. In addition a few recaptures have been made of fish 

 marked in 1914, and one fish marked in 1913. 



A point of importance was the number of fish which had migrated 

 north to the coast of Caithness, where they were captured by the 

 bag nets which fish at Berriedale and Dunbeath. This was most 

 evident in the case of grilse, 89 of these young fish being recaptured 

 at Berriedale and 94 at Dunbeath. It was also noticeable that after 

 the date of a high flood in July, the grilse on the coast disappeared. 



Many of the fish travelled even beyond Dunbeath in a single day, 

 while others went south, or entered rivers at an earlier date than 

 that of the flood referred to. One or two fish travelled to extraordinary 

 distances in a comparatively short period. A separate paper * on the 

 subject has been prepared by the Inspector, which gives the most im- 

 portant points to be deduced from the evidence received. A statistical 

 paper f on the catch and the results of the scale readings has also been 

 prepared by Mr. Menzies, who assisted Mr. Calderwood. 



PART III. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



During the year 1915, the Scottish scientific investigations in 

 connection with the sea fisheries were carried on under the super- 

 vision of the Scientific Superintendent, as authorised by the Board, 

 and, as far as possible, on the same general lines as in previous 

 years. Most of the research work has been done at the Marine 

 Laboratory at the Bay of Nigg, and in the Laboratory at the Old 

 Post Office, Aberdeen, and other inquiries relating to the herring and 

 herring fishery have been made in Lochfyne from time to time, in 

 continuation of the observations of preceding years, and also in the 

 Moray Firth with reference to the closing of the waters there to the 

 operations of trawlers. The special statistics of the catches of line- 

 boats in the Moray Firth have been collected monthly through the 

 Fishery Officers, as before ; but, owing to the withdrawal of the 

 research steamer, " Goldseeker," the trawling stations could not be 

 examined last year. A report on the investigations and statistics is 

 in course of preparation. 



The Hatching Operations. 



Owing to the transference of the " Goldseeker " to other work, 

 the fish-cultural work at the Hatchery at the Bay of Nigg was greatly 

 curtailed. The stock of adult spawning plaice, from which the eggs 



* Fisheries, Scotland, Salmon Fish., 1915, I. (July 1916). 

 + Fisheries, Scotland, Salmon Fish., 1915, II. (in the press), 



