of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



211 



been combined, so as to give the mean for each month in the period. In 

 the Forth area gurnards are almost entirely absent from November to 

 April. In January of the various years only one was captured in the 

 Firth of Forth, viz., a specimen of four inches taken at Station V. (west 

 of the Isle of May), in a depth of between 20 and 30 fathoms, on 

 21st January 1891. It was, as we shall see, no doubt an individual 

 which had for some reason or other remained behind when the shoals left 

 the Forth in the previous autumn. One other specimen was taken on 19th 

 January 1893 in the open sea at "Liston Bank" in twenty-four fathoms of 

 water (see Fig. 1). It was five inches in length; and we shall find that in 

 the winter months small gurnards are to be found in the deep offshore 

 waters in the Clyde and Moray Firths. The number of hauls made in 

 the Januaries of the various years in the Forth area, including " Liston 

 Bank," was 55. In February only three gurnards were taken in 71 hauls, 

 and all of them were caught outside the limits of the Firth of Forth, viz., 

 at Stations VIII. aud IX., where the water varies from 20 to 32 fathoms 

 in depth (Fig. 1). One at Station IX., on 19th February 1891, was 10 inches 

 in length ; the other two, taken at Station VIII. on 18th February 1896, 

 were each twelve inches in length. In March, in which month 52 hauls 

 were made, the number of gurnards captured was 15; with one exception 

 they were all taken at stations either outside the Firth or just at its mouth. 

 Thus, on 19th and 21st March 1891, one 12 inches and one 13 inches 

 were caught at Stations V. and VI. respectively; on 14th March 1894 

 one 14 inches long was taken at Station VIII. ; and on 29th and 30th 

 March in the same year other eleven were caught at Stations V., VI., and 

 VII. at the mouth of the Forth, of which three were 14 inches in length, 

 one 12 inches, three 10 inches, one 9 inches, and the others 6 and 7 

 inches. The exception referred to was a small specimen, four inches long, 

 which was captured on 13th March 1891 at Station II. (far up the 

 Forth), and had probably remained in the Firth from the autumn. 



Thus there is at the end of March an indication of the movement of 

 the gurnards into the Firth. In April this movement is found to be in 

 full progress. The number captured in this month in 63 hauls amounted 

 to 700, or an average of 1 1 gurnards per haul of the net. They are now 

 found at every station in the Firth of Forth, throughout the waters of 

 which they have become well distributed. At Station II. (off West 

 Wemyss, Fife) they are more abundant than at any other station, except 

 Station VII. (which runs parallel to the coast from the Bass Eock west- 

 wards). At the innermost stations, near Inchkeith (I. -Ill) and in 

 Aberlady Bay, they are rather more numerous than at the stations outside 

 the Firth (VIII. and IX.). The average number caught in each haul in 

 April at the inner group of stations (I.-IV.) was 9*9; at the outer group 

 (VIII. -IX.) it was 7'8; and at the three stations at the mouth of the 

 Firth (V., VI., VII.) it was 15*5. They were thus most abundant at 

 the mouth of the Forth in this month. How much further they extend 

 up the Forth is not shown, since no gurnards were ever caught at the 

 special station above the Forth Bridge (Station X.). The sizes of the 

 April gurnards will be dealt with later ; here it is sufficient to say that 

 the great majority were adults. The migratory movement of the gurnard 

 from the open sea into the inshore waters goes on actively during April, 

 and reaches its height in May. In this month the number of gurnards 

 captured in the area was 2789, in 63 hauls of the net, or an average of 

 44 '2 gurnards per haul. They were most numerous at the three Stations 

 at the mouth of the Firth (V., VI., VII.), where 1189 were caught, the 

 average per haul being 51*7. At the inner group of Stations (I.-IV.) 

 they were also abundant, the average per haul being 46*7. The total 



