of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



11 



much attention. In Scotland a very large proportion of the 

 fishermen prosecute line fishing, either continuously throughout 

 the year or during a large part of it ; and they landed on the East 

 Coast alone, in 1888, a total of 54,535 tons of fish which were 

 entirely caught by the use of bait. In the case of mussel bait it 

 has been recently shown that in some districts it takes very nearly 

 a ton of mussels to catch a ton of fish, and the expense of pro- 

 viding bait forms a serious item in the expenditure of the fishing 

 population. It is, therefore, evident that everything that relates 

 to the supplies of bait merits constant attention, and that accurate 

 knowledge should be obtained of the various sources of the present 

 supply. 



Mussel Farming at Montrose. — In last year's Eeport attention was 

 directed to the importance of an abundant supply of bait for line 

 fishermen, and attention was called elsewhere to the methods 

 adopted at Montrose for the cultivation of mussels. Quite recently 

 the Montrose mussel beds have been specially referred to by the 

 Committee appointed by the Marquis of Lothian to inquire into 

 the condition of the Scotch mussel and bait beds. With the view 

 of enabling fishermen and others desiring to engage in mussel culture 

 to become acquainted with the system followed at Montrose, a 

 Eeport has been prepared by Mr Fullarton and Mr Scott, which 

 deals with the position, extent, &c, of the Montrose beds. The 

 systematic cultivation was begun at Montrose 36 years ago by Mr 

 James Johnston, now a member of the Fishery Board. The opera- 

 tions at Montrose have been conspicuously successful in leading to 

 the stocking of previously barren areas and the increase of the yield. 

 The work is conducted on the bed system, the young mussels, when 

 about half an inch long, being transferred from the seed-beds in the 

 channel, to beds in the Montrose Basin. Here they generally grow 

 to saleable size within about three years, but if not they are trans- 

 ferred to banks further down the stream, so that they may attain 

 to the best size within a few years. The beds, the method of culti- 

 vation, and the fauna living alongside of them, are described ; the 

 'growing' and 'seed' beds have been mapped out, and are repre- 

 sented on the large chart which accompanies the Report. 



What has been found possible at Montrose, where the conditions 

 are by no means the most favourable, can doubtless be done in 

 many other places in Scotland. 



On the Habits of Pecten, and on the Clam Beds of the Firth of 

 Forth— My J. H. Fn.llarton, M.A., B.Sc, furnishes a Report on 

 this subject, based upon a survey made by himself and Mr Thomas 

 Scott of the important clam beds in the Firth of Forth, and on his 

 personal observations on the habits of Pecten, the conditions 

 under which it flourishes, and the methods of working the beds. 

 From the chart which accompanies this paper it will be seen that 

 the clam beds in the Forth are of great extent, the chief bed extend- 

 ing for a distance of about 12 miles, from Inchmickrie on the west to 

 the neighbourhood of Gullane Ness on the east. The fishermen 

 along the south shoie of the Firth derive by far their greatest supply 

 of bait from these clam b.jcls, which also provide large supplies to 

 the fishermen on the north side. These beds have increased in 

 extent and productiveness within* the past few years. In 1886 



