of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



223 



smaller period in the latter part of February, and a larger spawning period 

 during April and May ; but the demonstration of such an exceptional 

 method of spawning would require more corroborative evidence, and the 

 facts here recorded are probably due to other causes. "With regard to the 

 various stations of the Firth of Forth, the statistics of spawning adults 

 show conclusively that cod do not spawn in the territorial waters. The 

 eggs found in Stations I.-VII. have, in all probability, not been spawned 

 in situ, but have been drifted in from more seaward areas. 



This is corroborated by an inspection of the list of eggs. It is seen 

 that all the eggs occurring in February are reported as being found in the 

 seaward Stations VIII. and IX., and further eastwards, and the same 

 applies to the only two occurrences of eggs in any numbers in the whole 

 month of March. 



As the middle of April is reached, the main spawning-period becomes 

 evident, but again the great masses of eggs are found in the Liston Bank 

 area and Stations VIII. and IX. 



In 1891 the main mass appears to have been found in the second week 

 of April (13th, 14th), whilst in 1892 the great abundance was manifest 

 in the first week (5th), whilst again in 1894 they appear to be as late as 

 the third week (17th). We therefore have good evidence of great 

 numbers of cod-ova, usually at early stages, occurring fairly regularly 

 in April of each year, over the areas of Station VIII., Station IX., and 

 Liston Bank. Are we justified in supposing that it is the eggs spawned 

 in these areas which, drifting westwards, supply the inner stations of the 

 Firth of Forth with the eggs and larvae found there later 1 



The great numbers occurring on 5th April 1892 in Station VIII. 

 appear to have reached Station V. on April 16th, and to be 'all well- 

 developed,' and by the 19th they are found in Cross-Section III. in the 

 hatching condition. In 1891, the spawning appears to have been early, 

 for although the main mass of eggs did not occur till April 14th, yet a 

 great number were found at Stations VIII. and IX. as early as February 

 19th. The first appearance of eggs in Station V. is also in 1891 (March 

 19th), and the same applies to the inner stations (March 30th, 1891). 



Thus (1) as regards the spawning-areas of the cod in the Firth of Forth 

 district we may say, as far as can be supposed from the evidence to hand, 

 that the eggs are probably spawned in the areas east and south-east of the 

 Isle of May, in the region of Station VIII. and IX., and are not laid 

 within the Firth ; (2) as regards the spawning-period in this area, the 

 occurrence of eggs dates from February 19th to May 25th, and, allowing 

 for the fact that the eggs on the latter date are advanced, the spawning- 

 time may be said to extend over the extreme period from February 19th 

 to about May 10 th, or, roughly, from the third week of February to the 

 second week of May ; (3) as regards the direction taken by, and sub- 

 sequent fate of, the eggs after spawning, we can conjecture, with a fair 

 degree of certainty, that of the eggs laid in the seaward stations some 

 proportion drift within the Firth, and are there hatched. 



TABLE II. — EGGS OF HADDOCK. 



Firth of Forth. 



Feb. 8,1895. Station VII., 

 „ 19, 1891. „ VIII., 

 „ 19, „ „ IX., 



„ 21, 1894. „ VIII., 

 ft 21, „ „ IX., . 



Eggs, in moderate quantities. 

 Numerous eggs. 



1. 



30. 

 1. 



(None 



in Inner Stations). 



