of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



191 



April, a mile and a half from Arran, and one, out of four, in May, 40 miles 

 east of Stonehaven. 



The above data in regard to the flounder are not very extensive. In 

 the Firth of Forth, and probably also in St Andrews Bay, they spawn 

 chiefly in April, May, and June. Most of the mature specimens were 

 obtained at the outer stations, but a few also from the inner 

 stations. 



Little Sole (Solea lutea). 



On the 5th July, 1889, the 'Garland' came upon a shoal of this somewhat 

 rare fish, at Smith Bank, in the Moray Firth, congregated there for spawn- 

 ing purposes. Seventy-seven specimens were obtained, sixty in one haul. 

 Of thirty-five specimens examined by Mr Thomas Scott, five females were 

 fully ripe,and two males nearly ripe. 



It may be presumed that in the Moray Firth this species spawns 

 chiefly in July, and in the offshore waters. 



Long Rough Dabs (Hippoglossoides limandoides). 



The number of long rough dabs examined was 821. Of these 614 

 were obtained from the Firth of Forth, fifty-one from St Andrews Bay, 

 twenty-four from Montrose Bay and Aberdeen Bay, and 132 from Smith 

 Bank or neighbourhood. The results of the inquiries in regard to the 

 spawning of this flat-fish are of much interest. In the Firth of Forth 

 none were found fully ripe or nearly ripe in 1888, in June, August, or 

 September, In October and November none were fully mature, but 

 eighteen were nearly mature, and eight three-fourths mature. In Decem- 

 ber thirteen were quite mature, and one nearly mature. In January, 

 out of ninety-seven examined, eleven were fully ripe, and fifty-nine nearly 

 ripe ; and in February forty-six, out of fifty-nine, were nearly ripe. In 

 March, out of ninety-seven examined, fifteen Wfere quite mature, and 

 forty-five nearly. In April, tw T o out of twenty-five were fully ripe, and one 

 nearly mature; in May, out of twenty-one, only one was nearly mature 

 and none ripe ; in June fifty-nine were examined, and all were more or 

 less immature. Of those obtained in St Andrews Bay none were found 

 mature. One was three-quarters ripe and one nearly ripe in September ; 

 in October six were nearly ripe ; in December seven ; in June one was 

 nearly ripe. In Aberdeen Bay eight in July 1888, and six in June 1889, 

 were all more or less immature, and in Montrose Bay in the same months 

 all were more or less immature. Of the 133 obtained from Smith Bank, 

 and other offshore grounds in the Moray Firth, seventy- three were 

 found nearly mature in January, and six three-quarters mature, but none 

 were fully ripe. In February, out of forty-six examined, three were 

 fully ripe and thirty-seven nearly ripe. In July 1889, one was immature. 

 It appears from these data that the long rough dab begins to spawn in the 

 Firth of Forth in December, and continues spawning until April. It 

 appears also to spawn in early spring at the offshore grounds in the Moray 

 Firth ; but we' have no data in regard to their condition in the inshore 

 waters of the Moray Firth at the same period. The observations in the 

 Firth of Forth were very carefully made throughout the year, and they 

 show that the majority of the ripe fish were obtained at the inner 

 group of stations (I. to IV.) west of Inchkeith, and especially at those 

 situated in mid-channel. A few ripe fish were also obtained from the 

 stations at the mouth of the Firth. From an analysis of the records it 



