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Part III — Seventh Annual Report 



that was nearly mature. Three obtained at Smith Bank in February were 

 not ripe. Of forty-five examined by the fishery officer at Fraserburgh, on 

 5th June, and caught 50 to 60 miles off shore, eighteen were ripe. 

 The hake seems to spawn late, and offshore. 



Common Gurnard (Trigla gurnardus). 



The number of common gurnards examined was 837 ; 289 in the 

 Firth of Forth, ninety-seven from 20 to 30 miles east of May Island, 167 

 in St Andrews Bay, twelve in Montrose Bay, twelve in Cruden Bay, 

 twenty-eight in Moray Firth, twenty-two at Smith Bank, and eighty-five 

 by fishery officers. 



Of those obtained from the Firth of Forth, three, out of fifty-five, were 

 ripe in June 1888, four nearly mature, and seven three-fourths mature. 

 In August, out of thirty-six, one was mature, four nearly mature, and 

 five three-fourths mature. In September thirty-six were more or less 

 immature. In October, out of nineteen, one was nearly mature, and in 

 November, out of ten, one was nearly mature. In April, out of nine, 

 four were nearly mature. In May, out of thirty-two, one was quite ripe, 

 and twelve nearly ripe. In June, out of fifty-six, fourteen were fully 

 ripe, twelve nearly ripe, and twelve three-fourths mature. 



Of those obtained in St Andrews Bay, nine, out of twenty-eight, were 

 nearly ripe, and six three-fourths ripe in July. In August, two, out of 

 twenty-eight, were quite mature, and five nearly mature. In September 

 and October, out of forty, all were unripe, as were two obtained in 

 December. There is no record of their condition in St Andrews Bay in 

 January, February and March, but in April, out of twenty-three 

 examined, two were quite ripe, and thirteen nearly ripe. In May, 

 out of thirteen examined, six were nearly mature, and six three-fourths 

 mature. In June, out of thirty-three, sixteen were in a spawning- 

 condition, ten nearly ripe, and two three-fourths mature. 



Of twenty-two obtained in Montrose Bay, in July 1888, all were 

 unripe, but on June 19, 1889, of twelve examined, five were found quite 

 mature, and three nearly mature. Of fifty-seven obtained in Aberdeen 

 Bay, in July 1888, three were nearly ripe, and five three-fourths mature ; 

 and of thirty -four obtained in June 1889, fifteen were nearly ripe, but 

 none quite mature. In Cruden Bay, of twelve obtained on July 19, 

 two were mature. At the stations in the Moray Firth, of twenty-eight 

 examined at the end of June 1889, seven were fully ripe, and two 

 nearly ripe. At Smith Bank,, of ten examined in January, four were 

 fully ripe, and of twelve examined in February all were more or less 

 unripe. Of 34 obtained at the end of June and the beginning of July 

 1889, four were quite mature, and eleven nearly mature. The fishery 

 officers examined eighty -five, of which fifty-two were ripe ; twenty-eight 

 out of sixty-five in May, 20 to 30 miles off Montrose; and twenty-four, 

 out of thirty, in June, in the same area. 



The period during which common gurnards are found quite ripe is 

 therefore a prolonged one, ripe fish having been obtained in January, 

 April, May, June, July and August, but they seem to spawn chiefly in 

 May and June, and both in and beyond the territorial waters. The ova 

 of the gurnard were on several occasions obtained in the surface tow-net, 

 in the Moray Firth, Firth of Forth and elsewhere, from 10 to 65 miles 

 from shore. 



