of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



239 



of dab's eggs in March are found in Stations V. and VI. They are 

 also found in the middle stations in April and May, but tail off in J une. 

 In the inner stations, the spawning does not become at all general 

 throughout March or April, and it is well on in May before a large series 

 of occurrences are recorded ; they then continue throughout June in 

 plenty, indeed, eleven of the fourteen records in this mouth are from the 

 inner four stations with their Cross-section. This distribution closely 

 agrees with that for the whting (see Diagram), though the dab does not 

 quite conform to the rule so closely as this fish. 



The dab itself is a fish of varied habits, and is found generally dis- 

 tributed at all moderate depths, so that the diffuse spawning-habit is 

 another instance of the tendency to the approximation of the spawning- 

 area to that inhabited by the adult. 



(1) The spawning-areas of the dab are commensurate with the whole 

 extent of the Firth of Forth district. (2) The extreme limits of the 

 spawning-season are from Februar} 7- 19th to August 29th; the mean 

 spawning-time being from March 1st to June 30th. Spawning com- 

 mences in the outer stations, then in the middle, and lastly in the inner 

 stations. Spawning continues latest in the inner stations. (3) The eggs 

 spawned in the outer stations in March, April, and May, are drifted pro- 

 bably shorewards up the Firth, and the same applies to a less extent with 

 those in the middle stations. Those spawned in the inner stations in May, 

 June, and July, seem to develop, in situ, whilst floating here and there, 

 and apparently some are drifted seawards to the outer stations. 



TABLE VIII.— EGGS OF GURNARD. 

 Firth of Forth Area. 



May 



April 5, 1892. 

 ,» 8, ,, 

 ,, 17, 1894. 

 „ 17, „ 



18, 1893. 

 ,, 18, 1894. 



20, 1893. 

 „ 25, 1890. 

 „ 25, 1893. 

 „ 26, 1892. 

 26, „ 

 2, „ 

 6, 1891. 

 6, 1892. 

 6, ii 

 7, 

 9, 



9, „ 



11, V 



12, „ 

 12, „ 

 14, ,, 

 17, „ 

 17, „ 



19, 1891. 

 22, ,, 



22, 1895. 



23, 1891. 

 25, 1892. 

 25, 1891. 



25, „ 



26, 1892. 

 26, „ 

 26, „ 



8-12 miles E. of May Island, 

 Cross-section II., . 

 W. of May Island, 

 Station VIII. and IX., 



„ VI., . . 



„ VI., . . 



„ I., • . 



„ v., . . 



Cross-section I., . 

 Station I., 



„ VI., . . 



,, VII.,. . 



,, v., . . 

 „ ix., . . 

 „ ix., . . 



9 miles E. of May Island 

 Station VIII., 



„ VIII., 



,, L, • 

 12-17 miles S.E. of May Island, 

 6-12 „ 

 Station III., . 



„ I., • 



„ VII.,. 



>, V., . 

 Aberlady Bay, 

 Station III., . 



>. I-, • 

 „ IX., . 

 VI., . 



.„ II., . 



Liston Bank, 

 Liston Bank and May Island, 

 W. of Liston Bank, 



A few. 

 », 



1. 



18. 



Several (ready to hatch). 

 4 (early). 



3 (advanced). 

 1. 



9 (advanced). 

 1. 



1 (advanced). 

 2. 



Eggs of. 



10 (advanced). 

 7 



8.- 



41. 



13. 



4 (advanced). 

 Gurnard. 

 Eggs of. 



4 (advanced). 

 1. 



4 (advanced, to ready to hatch). 



Eggs of. 



Large number. 



88/ 



Eggs of. 



77. 



A few. 

 Eggs of. 

 29. 

 117. 

 129. 



