of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



27 



the first period, and 40 in the second periods ; and in both cases the actual 

 number of plaice and lemon soles captured in the second period was dimi- 

 nished, while the actual number of dabs increased — the figures being : for 

 June, 4435 of the former and 3041 of the latter in the first period ; and 

 for the second period 3800 and 3848 respectively. In October, in the 

 first period, the numbers are 3713 plaice and lemon soles, and 2069 dabs; 

 in the second period, with an additional haul, the figures are 2888 and 

 3239 respectively. An examination of the percentages in the above 

 Tables shows that, while each hundred of flat-fishes caught in the closed 

 waters in the colder months in the first period of five years consisted of 

 G9 plaice and lemon soles, and 31 dabs ; each hundred in the correspond- 

 ing months of the second period of five years consisted of 52 plaice and 

 lemon soles, and 48 dabs. In the warmer months of the first period each 

 hundred consisted of 58 plaice and lemon soles, and 42 dabs ; while each 

 hundred in the same months of the second period consisted of 47 plaice 

 and lemon soles, and 53 dabs. The inshore-spawning dabs, therefore, to 

 a very large extent supplanted the offshore-spawning plaice and lemon 

 soles in the closed waters. 



T. WEMYSS FULTON, 



Scientific Superintendent 



c 



