SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 



I. REPORT ON THE TRAWLING EXPERIMENTS OF THE 

 " GARLAND," AND ON THE FISHERY STATISTICS 

 RELATING THERETO. (PLATE L) 



INTRODUCTORY. 



During the year trawling operations of the " Garland " were conducted 

 in the Moray Firth, the Firth of Clyde, and Aberdeen Bay. The number 

 of hauls of the trawl made in these areas was 130, of which 56 were 

 made in the Moray Firth in May, June, October, and November ; 66 in 

 the Firth of Clyde and Loch Fyne in August, September, and December ; 

 and 8 in Aberdeen Bay in April and May. The work at each station 

 consists in (1) trawling along a selected line for a specified distance, all 

 the fish caught being enumerated, measured, and recorded; (2) observa- 

 tions on the temperature, salinity, and transparency of the water, on 

 the condition of the weather, &c. ; (3) the determination of the invertebrate 

 fauna caught in the trawl-net ; (4) the determination of the pelagic fauna 

 floating in the water. The Tables relating to the chief of these investiga- 

 tions will be found appended to this Report. In addition, special 

 observations were made on the occurrence and distribution of pelagic fish 

 eggs and larvae in Loch Fyne, and on the distribution of immature and 

 spawning fishes. 



The "Garland" was also employed in the spring in procuring adult 

 plaice for the sea-fish hatchery at Dunbar, and in connection with 

 enquiries into the herring fishing in Loch Fyne. 



The fishery statistics which have been collected in the districts of the 

 Moray Firth in connection with the trawling experiments there, and 

 which show the quantities of the various kinds of fish caught by line 

 fishermen within the closed waters in each month of the year and for 

 the whole year, are appended to this Report, and are discussed below. 

 These statistics were collected by the Fishery Officers of the respective 

 districts, or by their correspondents. The trawling records were made 

 by Mr. F. G. Pearcey, the naturalist on board the " Garland." 



