of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



285 



III. LONG LINE BAIT EXPERIMENTS. 

 Tlic.sc were conducted at different parts of the Firth of Forth during 

 the months of September, December, and January, and also to a less 

 extent in August, February, and March. (Vide p. 352). 



Common Dabs. 

 ( Pleuronectes limanda) . 



Of 119 stomachs examined 63 were empty, and the contents of 3 were 

 indistinguishable : 53 contained matter that could be identified. 



Echinoderms were found in 17 stomachs (32%). They consisted of (1) 

 Ophiura (sp. albida), in thirteen : (2) unidentified starfish in five. 



Annelids were found in 12 stomachs (22%). They consisted of (1) 

 Sipuncuhis, in two: (2) Aphrodite, in one: (3) unidentified annelids, in nine. 



Arthropods were found in 16 stomachs (30%). They consisted of (1) 

 hermit crabs, in seven : Porcellana, in one : (3) crabs, in one : (4) JSupa- 

 gurus, in three : (5) spider crab, in one : (6) Gaprella, in one : (7) Grangon, 

 in one. 



Molluscs were found in 4 stomachs (7%). They consisted of (1) 

 Scrobicularia, in one : (2) unidentified lamellibranchs, in two : (3) Doris, 

 in one. 



Fish remains were found in 7 stomachs. They could not be identified. 



Cod. 



(Gadus morrhua). 



Of 232 stomachs examined, 28 were empty, and the contents of 6 were 

 indistinguishable : 198 contained matter that could be identified. 



Echinoderms were found in 4 stomachs (2%). They consisted of (1) 

 fichinocyamus (sp. jmsillus), in one in September, and Ophiothrix rosula, 

 in three in August and September. 



Annelids were found in 14 stomachs (7%). They consisted of (1) 

 Polynoe, in one in August : (2) Ajihrodite (sp. aculeata), in one in 

 September, in two in December, and in two in January : (3) Phyllodoce, 

 in one in January : (4) Sipuncuhis, in one in January : (5) unidentified 

 annelids, in eleven stomachs. 



Arthropods were found in nearly all the stomachs examined. They 

 consisted of (1) Portunus (sp. pusillus and depurator), in twenty-seven : 

 (2) Hyas, in sixteen : (3) ' Eupagurus, in sixteen : (4) Pandalus (sp. 

 anmdicornis), in fifteen : (5) unidentified crabs, in eight : (6) Brachyurus, 

 in one : (7) hermit crabs, in thirty-nine, most abundant in January : (8) 

 Porcellana (sp. longicornis), in eight (in one fish, 20 inches long, 110 

 specimens of Porcellana were found) : (9) Grangon, in ninty-three, most 

 abundant in December and January, being found in 21 out of 39 

 stomachs in December, and in 52 of 84 in January : (10) Arcturus, in one 

 in September: (11) Nephrops, in six : (12) Balanus (sp. crenatus), in one 

 in September : (13) Atelecyclus (sp. septemdentatus), in three in September : 

 (14) Pinnotheres (sp. pisum), in five : (15) Galathea, in four: (16) spider 

 crab, in six in January : (17) Idotea, in one in January : (18) unidentified 

 schizopods, in one in February : and (19) unidentified Crustacea, in three. 



Molluscs were found in 17 stomachs (8%). They consisted of (1) Solen, 

 in one in December : (2) Pecten, in one in December : (3) unidentified 

 lamellibranchs, in three : (4) Buccinum, in thirteen, most abundant in 

 December and January. 



Fish were found in 27 stomachs (13%) ; most abundant from December 

 onwards. They consisted of blenny, long rough dabs, whiting, goby, flat- 

 fish, and Agonus cataphractus. Ova were found in one in February. 



