184 



Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



can only be fully comprehended, and many questions solved, by comparative 

 inquiries at considerable distances off shore. 



Besides the information obtained by the means above described, a 

 modified scheme relating to the time, duration, and place of spawning 

 has been put into operation at points around the greater part of the coast 

 of Scotland ; and it may thus be possible in the near future to indicate 

 exactly where and when the food-fishes spawn in the waters adjoining 

 our coasts. The form drawn up for this purpose is shown on the opposite 

 page, and already upwards of 16,000 fishes have been examined, and the 

 results recorded. 



It will be evident from the details given in the following Reports, that 

 by carrying on this system of investigations for a series of years very 

 substantial additions to our knowledge of the natural history of the 

 marine food fishes will be made. And since the information obtained is 

 being studied in relation to the observations concurrently made as to the 

 physical changes in the sea, and the distribution of the invertebrate 

 fauna, it will soon be possible to solve many problems relating to the 

 habits and migrations of the food-fishes which cannot at present be 

 explained. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS.— STATION II.*— MORAY 



FIRTH. 



C. — Record of Condition of Reproductive Organs and Stomach 

 in Fish Caught. 







Size in 







Date. 



Name of Fish. 



Inches. 



Condition of 

 Reproductive 

 Organs. 



Amount and Nature of 

 Contents of Stomach. 





M. 



F. 



1889. 













June 26 



Sandy Ray (E. 



15 





About half mature. 



Empty. 





circularis). 









>> 



Plaice. 





20 



Immature. 



A piece of Solen. 





» 





24 



Spent. 



1 Nautica catena, 1 Hyas 

 coarctus. 



»> 







21i 



Immature. 



1 Solen pellucida. 



j> 



» 



m 



About half mature. 



Fragments of Solen ensis (?). 



»> 



>> 





21 



Immature. " 



j> >> 



>> 



Common Dab. 





H 





Empty. 



>> 

 j> 



> » 





P 



Mature. 

 Immature. 



Parts of a small Solen. 

 Amphiura, sp. (?) remains. 



>» " 



>} 





9 



About half mature. 



Empty. 



> j 



n 





8 



Immature. 



Amphiura, sp. (?) remains. 









8 



ft 



„ Eupagurus. 



» 



Haddock. 





15 



»> 



Remains of Eupagurus and 2 









19 





Echinocyamus. 



>» 



» 





j> 



Ophiura texturata and Am- 

 phiura remains. 



>> 



a 



15 





j> 



Eupagurus, Lamellibranch 

 and Amphiura remains. 













)i 



»> 



16 





>> 



Very immature. 



Pieces of Terebella tubes. 





Cod. 





12 



1 Ampelisca, and Crangon 

 remains. 



>> 



Lythe. 



28 





Immature. 



Eupagurus bemhardus re- 

 mains. 



» 



Gurnard. 





12 



About half mature. 



Remains of Crangon vulgaris. 





>> 



ii 





Immature. 



Empty. 



* The various Stations of the 'Garland' are described in the Fifth Report (p. 52, 

 PI. I.), the Sixth Report (pp. 31, 32, PI. V.) and the present Report (p. 18). 



