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Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



Bayley Balfour, F.R.S., Cruni Brown, F.E.S., D'Arcy Thompson, 

 Dittmar, F.B.S., M c Intosh, F.B.S, M c Kendrick, F.R.S., M'William, 

 Traill, and Young ; Major-General Sir B, Murdoch Smith, C.B., 

 Director of the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, and Mr G. 

 Auldjo Jamieson. 



This Committee includes representatives from all the Scottish 

 Universities, and in addition a representative from Anderson's 

 College, Glasgow, and one from the University College, Dundee. 



During the year the following, amongst other investigations, have 

 been carried on with the assistance of the sum of £2000 voted 

 under the Sub-head Scientific Investigations : — The influence of 

 beam trawling, especially in territorial waters ; surveys of the clam 

 and mussel beds in the Firth of Forth, and of the mussel beds at 

 Montrose ; experiments to determine the relative value of different 

 kinds of baits ; the distribution of small fish, especially flat- 

 fish, in inshore and offshore waters, and the capture and destruction 

 of immature fish; the food, spawning, and habits of the food fishes; 

 special inquiries into the pelagic fauna, which farms the chief food 

 supply of young fishes ; the organisms associated with salmon 

 disease ; the physics and chemistry of the North Sea. 



During the financial year 1889-90, it is proposed to expend the 

 sum voted for scientific work as follows: — (1) For the trawling 

 experiments and apparatus, £350 ; (2) for the collection of special 

 statistics, £200 ; (3) for inquiries, &c, in connection with bait, 

 £100; (4) for work and appliances in connection with the spawn- 

 ing and development of food-fishes and shell-fishes, £550 ; (5) for 

 physical investigations, £240; ((5) for investigations in connection 

 with the inland waters, £150 ; (7) for report on the pelagic fauna of 

 St Andrews Bay,&c, £135 ; ( 8) for illustrations for Part ILL, £50 ; 

 ( 9) for special books and periodicals, £25 ; (10) for secretarial work, 

 £200. 



1. The Influence of Beam Tkawling. 



The inliuence of beam trawling has for the past few years been 

 made a leading subject of inquiry and investigation by the 

 Scientific Department of the Board ; the Special Beport embodying 

 the results of these inquiries will be found at page 15. During 

 1888 no change was made in the extent of territorial waters set 

 apart for experimental investigation, and in which beam trawling 

 was suspended. On the 28th of February of the present year 

 (1889), however, the limits of the restricted area were extended to 

 embrace that part of the territorial zone stretching between Bed 

 Head in Forfarshire and Kinnaird Head, and a number of experi- 

 mental Stations have been selected in this area for periodic 

 examination by the ' Garland. 3 The region, therefore, from which 

 the practice of beam trawling is at present excluded comprises the 

 greater portion of the territorial waters of the East Coast, namely, 

 from Tantallon Castle on the south side of the mouth of the Firth 

 of Forth in the south to the Ord of Caithness in the north. 



The measures adopted by the Scientific Department in the 

 course of the inquiry have consisted chiefly of : — (1) the trawling 

 experiments of the ' Garland ' ; and (2) the collection and analysis of 

 special statistics. But, in addition, systematic inquiries have been 



