'of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



213 



in the open sea, where the average has risen to 341, which is the maxi- 

 mum for this part of the area for the year. The highest average is at 

 Station VIII. (45*6), and the lowest at Station III. (13*7). The 

 average at Station VI. is also high, viz. 405. In August and Septem- 

 ber the decrease in the abundance of gurnards in the area continues, but 

 the rate of diminution is not so marked as in June and July. Thus, 

 while there was a drop in the average from May to June of 12, and a 

 drop of 6*2 from June to July, the drop from July to August was only 

 2*4, and from August to September almost the same, viz. 2-7. In 

 August 1534 gurnards were caught in 71 hauls, or an average of 21*6 per 

 haul. The same relative abundance at different parts of the area is 

 exhibited as in July. The average number taken in each haul of the net 

 at the four inner stations is 18 "4 ; at the three stations at the mouth of 

 the Firth the average is 23 '2, and at the outer stations in the open sea it 

 is 26 - 7. In September 1306 gurnards were caught in 69 hauls, the 

 average being 18*9. In this month the average at the four inner and 

 the two outer stations is nearly the same — namely, 20'6 at the former 

 and 21 "5 at the latter; at the intermediate three stations the average 

 sank to 14 "8. Thus at the inner stations a rise took place in August 

 and September, the reason for which we shall see when we come to deal 

 with the gurnards according to their sizes. The highest average for the 

 month is at Station II. (25*2), the next highest are at Station IV. (24*9) 

 and at Station IX., in the open sea, where it is 24'5. 



In October a very marked change occurs. The number of gurnards 

 captured in 66 hauls of the net was 552, the average per haul being 8'4. 

 The averages at the inner stations in this month are higher than at the 

 intermediate or outer station— viz., 10 '6, compared with 7*9 at the three 

 stations at the mouth of the Firth and 4*9 at the two stations in the open 

 sea. The highest average was at Station II. (18T), and the lowest at 

 the shallow-water Station IV. (4*6), which is first affected by the falling 

 temperature. The average at Station IX. was practically the same, 4*7. 

 In November the gurnards have almost disappeared from the area. Only 

 65 were captured in 58 hauls, or an average of 1*1 per haul. They were 

 very scarce in the inner parts of the Firth and at the mouth, the averages 

 being 0'7 and 0*6 ^respectively ; at the outer stations they were more 

 numerous, the average per haul being 3*2 ; the average at the outermost 

 Station (IX.) was 3*8. In December only 11 gurnards were taken in 

 59 hauls, an average of less than 0*2 per haul ; four of them were captured 

 at the four inner stations, three at the three intermediate stations, and 

 four at the two outer stations. The averages at each station for each 

 month throughout the ten years are given in the following Table : — 



[Table. 



