of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



223 



the numbers of sand-stars begin to fall off, and are equalled by the 

 number of shrimps. In December no sand-stars are recorded, but shrimps 

 are found in 19 stomachs of 21 containing matter that could be distin- 

 guished. After December a few sand-stars are recorded, but on till the 

 end of March, as far as the records go, shrimps form by far the largest 

 proportion of the food of long rough dabs. Among the possible 

 explanations or influences, are the following — the state of the fish as 

 regards ripeness, the migration of the fish from other waters, the 

 migration of the food and the relative abundance of the different foody, 

 the state of the tide, the state of the weather, the time of day when the 

 fish were caught, the preference of the fish for one or other kind of food 

 when perhaps both were to be had, the presence of other fish on the same 

 feeding grounds. Some of these explanations may have but little if any 

 bearing on the subject, but it will be seen that the problem is one involv- 

 ing very many possible factors and one not to be solved off hand, and 

 not without a great deal of patient investigation. At least two years' 

 statistics would be required before one could be certain that any probable 

 solutions had been suggested of the problems started by the present 

 investigation, and before definite steps could be taken to improve the food 

 supply of the various kinds of fish at the various stations. 



I. FIRTH OF FORTH. 

 Plaice. 



(Pleuronectes platessa). 



Of 314 stomachs of plaice examined 89 were empty, and the contents 

 of 25 were indistinguishable : 200 stomachs contained matter that could 

 be identified. The following notes refer to these 200 : — 



Echinodenns were found in 11 stomachs (5|%). They consisted of 

 (1) sand-stars, at Station IV., in one in February and in three in March ; 

 at Station VI., in one in February and. in two in June; and at Station VII., 

 in one in March and in one in August : (2) heart-urchin (Spatangus), at 

 Station VI., in one in June : (3) Amphidotus, at Station VII. , in one in 

 October. 



Annelids were found in 148 stomachs (74%). The species identified 

 consisted of (1) Sipunculus, at Station II., in one in September, and at 

 Station VII., in two in August : (2) Priapulus, at Station I., in one in 

 August; at Station II., in one in June and in three in August; at 

 Station III., in two in June, in one in August, and in one in October; at 

 Station IV., in one in June and in two in October ; at Station V., in one 

 in J une ; and at Station VII., in one in August : (3) Nereis, at Station 

 V., in one in June and in one in September ; and at Station VI., in 

 one in August : (4) sea-mouse (Aphrodite), at Station II., in one in 

 February. 132 stomachs contained annelids that could not be identified. 

 The proportion of the stomachs in which annelids were found to the 

 total number of stomachs containing distinguishable matter at the 

 various stations is as follows : — Station I., 18 of 21 ; II., 18 of 30 ; III., 

 22 of 25 ; IV., 41 of 47 ; V., 11 of 16 ; VI., 6 of 29 ; VII., 5 of 14 ; 

 VIII., 7 of 8 ; IX., 2 of 2. Similarly the proportion during the various 

 months at all the Stations is — June, 25 of 35 ; August, 19 of 34 ; 

 September, 14 of 23 ; October, 17 of 29 ; November, 1 of 1 ; December, 

 1 of 1 ; January, 3 of 3 ; February, 15 of 23 ; March, 38 of 49. 

 Arthropods were found in 13 stomachs (6J%). The forms reported are 



