of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



229 



Taale IV.— Eggs of Plaice— continued. 



April 4, 



1893. 



9 miles E.S.E. of May Island, 



5. 



»» 



4, 





10 



8 to 12 miles E. of May Island, 



17. 



» > 



5, 



1892. 



250. 





5, 





A few miles E. of May Island, 



26, 





5, 



1895. 



Prestonpans to mid-Forth, 



12. 



' » 



6, 1892. 



Cross-section I., 



Eggs of (advanced). 





8, 



,, 



II., . 



A few. 





8, 





II., . 



150. 



>> 



9, 



>> 



Inchkeith, .... 



A few, almost ready to hatch. 



>» 



11, 





Cross-section III., . 



2 (almost ready to hatch). 



>) 



13, 



1891. 



Liston Bank, 



A few. 





16, 



1894. 



Station I., 



6. 



> > 



17, 



1892. 



,, v., . 



Considerable number (advanced). 



j » 



17, 1894. 



,, VIII. and IX., . 



20. 



>« 



18, 



1893. 



,, VI., .... 



4 (nearly ready to hatch). 



> > 



18. 



1895. 



,, II., .... 



19. 





19, 



1893. 



„ II 



A few. 





19, 



1895. 



„ VIII., 



1. 





19, 



1892. 



Cross-section III., . 



A few (advanced). 



? > 



20, 



1893. 





1, 



" 



21, 



1892. 



„ II., . . . 



5 (advanced, to hatching). 





23, 



1895. 



v., .... 



7. 





24, 



1890. 



„ IX . 



Eggs of. 





25, 



1892. 



,, III., .... 



2. 





25, 





„ IV., . - . 



1. 



, > 



26, 



5 1 



„ VI., .... 



2 (one ready to hatch). 



May 



28, 





„ III., .... 



3 (nearly ready to hatch). 



2, 





„ v., . . ... 



7. 



) » 



5, 



1891. 



„ VII., 



Eggs of. 



,» 



6, 



1892. 



„ IX, .... 



3. 



J » 



6, 



1891. 



„ VI., .... 



Eggs of. 



J, 



11, 



>i 



4 miles E. of May Island, 





5 » 



29, 





Station IX 



1 or 2. 



June 



4, 



1892. 



Inchkeith, .... 



1. 



Plaice. 



There is a peculiar satisfaction in dealing with the eggs of this species, 

 because, although in the case of some other species they can only with 

 great difficulty be recognised, in this case we are certain that every observa- 

 tion must be well established, because the eggs of the plaice cannot 

 possibly be mistaken for those of any other species. 



In the Firth of Forth area, the eggs of the plaice are found between the 

 limits of February 8th and June 4th. Dr Fulton gives from the second 

 week of February to nearly the middle of May for the East Coast, with a 

 maximum in early March. Allowing for the period of incubation of at 

 least 14 days, the spawning-period derived from the evidence of pelagic 

 eggs works out as from February 8th to about the 20th of May — a period 

 closely similar to that derived from the evidence of spawning adults. The 

 maximum in mid-March is at least indicated at Station IX. in 1892 

 (16th), when 1500 were found in one haul, at early stages. 



The distribution referred to in 'the Haddock' and 'the Cod,' is also 

 marked in this species. The eggs first make their appearance in the 

 outer seaward stations ; and, in fact, with a solitary exception on February 

 22nd, 1894, in Station V., all those found in February occurred in the 

 extra-territorial waters. One vast mass of ova in February 1893, with 

 another bottle labelled ' Carr,' is unfortunately unlabelled, but they were 

 probably obtained in the off-shore water east of the North Carr. In 

 early March, we notice the eggs which occur in the inner stations (even 

 Station VI. and Station VII.) are advanced or ready to hatch, whereas 

 the early stages are again found out at Station VIII. and Station IX., and 

 in greater abundance. The first appearance of eggs of the plaice in the 



