Part III. — Eighteenth Annual Report 



well as others of importance. The inefficiency of the Garland in 

 this department may be understood from the fact that it is not 

 possible with it to follow up the life-history and movements of the 

 principal food fishes from the inshore to the offshore waters, or 

 vice versa, or to make observations on the great fishing grounds 

 where fishermen mostly pursue their industry, and where the 

 greater part of the fish supply is obtained. 



The Influence of Trawling. 



The results of the trawling operations carried on in the course 

 of the year, together with the various Tables embodying the 

 observations in detail, are given in a separate report (p. 19). 

 During the year the investigations were conducted in the Firth of 

 Clyde, where the stations were examined in January, May, June, 

 July, September, October, November, and December. The work was 

 considerably interrupted by stormy weather and the necessity of 

 taking the vessel into harbour for repairs. The number of fishes 

 captured with the ordinary trawl at the Clyde stations was close upon 

 20,000, of which the majority were fiat-fishes. A feature of con- 

 trast with the condition on the East Coast is the scarcity of plaice, 

 the most abundant flat-fishes being witches and long rough dabs, 

 which formed over 80 per cent, of all the fiat-fishes caught. The 

 statistics for the various kinds of fish caught at the twelve stations 

 show that the average for the year for all kinds together was 176*9 per 

 haul ; the average for fiat-fishes was 1037 ; and that for round- 

 fishes (cod, haddock, whiting, and gurnard), 347. Among flat- 

 fishes the average for plaice was only 1*5 ; that for lemon soles was 

 7*2; while witches had the high average of 417. The dabs had 

 also high averages — for the common dab, 14*9, and for the long 

 rough dab, 36*5. Other species of flat-fishes were taken in small 

 numbers, including, for all the hauls, a total of 60 black or common 

 soles. Among round-fishes, gurnards headed the list with an 

 average of 22*3 ; the average for cod was only 1 ; for whitings, 

 9*4 ; and for haddocks, 2. 



Comparison of the results obtained in the years in which the 

 investigations have been made in the Clyde show that the general 

 average has increased over the period. In 1888 it was 1097 per 

 haul; in 3 890, 99 5 ; in 1895, 113*4; in 1896,1207; in 1897, 

 112-5 ; in 1898, 189*3 ; and last year, 176*9. The statistics for flat- 

 fishes and round-fishes indicate a fairly steady rise in the former 

 and considerable fluctuation in the latter. The figures are as 

 follows : — 





1888. 



1890. 



1895. 



1896. 



1897. 



1898. 



1899. 



Fiat-Fishes 



61*2 



61*1 



64*7 



75*5 



84-8 



947 



1037 



Round- Fishes . 



447 



35-1 



43-6 



35*1 



27*8 



49-9 



347 



