242 



Part III. — Fifteenth Annual Report 



the two middle months. The spawning in the outer stations is earlier 

 than that further shorewards. (3) The direction of the drift of the early 

 eggs (in April and May) is probably up the Firth, as in the preceding 

 species, but the movement of the June and July eggs is not so pronounced, 

 and is probably more or less indefinite. 



TABLE IX. — EGGS OF TURBOT. 

 Firth of Forth. 



May 19, 1891. 



Station III., 



Eggs of. 



„ 22, „ 



Aberlady Bay, 



. Eggs of. 



24, 1892. 



Station III., 



. 2 (advanced). 



,, 25, 1891. 



„ VI., . . . 



. A few. 



„ 25, „ 



i. H 



. Eggs of. 



,, 27, 1892. 



„ I, . . . 



. 4 (early). 



27, 1891. 



„ vii., . . 



. Turbot. 



„ 28, „ 



„ v., . . . 



> » 



,, 28, 1895. 



„ VII., . . 



. 25. 



„ 28, „ 



i, ix 



. 9. 



29, 1891. 



„ IX.,. . . 



1 or 2. 



,, 29, 1895. 



„ V 



. 5. 



,, 31, 1893. 



„ VI., . . . 



. 1. 



,, 31, 1895. 



,, II., . . . 



. 56. 



June 1, 1893. 



Cross-section III. (North), 



. 1 (early). 



>> 2, ,, 



Station IX., 



. 15 (early). 



„ 4, 1892. 



E. of Inchkeith, . 



1. 



,, 14, 1893. 



Station IX., . 



. 1 (early). 



» 15, „ 



„ I, . . . 



12 (advanced). 



j) 19, i, 



„ VI., . . . 



. 44 (early to later). 



„ 21, „ 



„ III.,. . . 



Cross-section II. (South), 



. 6 (early). 



„ 22, „ 



5 (early). 



„ 28, „ 



Station II., . 



6 (early to later). 



>» 28, ,, 



„ II., • • • 



. 61 (early to later). 



July 8, 1891, 



Largo Bay, . 



Considerable number (turbot-like), 



„ 9, „ 



Station V. , . 



. A few (resembling turbot). 



„ 22, „ 



a v., . . . 



. Eggs of. 



The eggs of the turbot occur in small numbers in the Firth of 

 Forth district, and a very few occurrences are recorded. The extreme 

 limits are from May 19th to July 22nd, which probably indicates a 

 spawning period from mid-May to mid- July. Dr Fulton gives from 

 April to July inclusive for the East Coast, so that the time here given is 

 six weeks earlier and shorter than his. jS t o special distribution or move- 

 ment of the eggs of the turbot can be discerned, and although the turbot 

 is not one of the commonest of the flat fishes it looks as if the Firth of 

 Forth area is rot by any means the spawning headquarters of this 

 species. It is probable that the turbot spawns in deeper water further 

 offshore, and that the eggs here recorded must be regarded as more or 

 less due to 1 stragglers.' They occur indiscriminately in all stations, and 

 are at all stages. 



Nothing more can be said upon this subject, but it is evident that 

 more definite knowledge is desirable with regard to the spawning of this 

 valuable fish. 



TABLE X. — EGGS OF BRILL. 



Fiijth of Forth. 



May 



6, 1891. 



7, ;; 



9, ,, 

 12, „ 



25, „ 

 27, 1892. 

 30, „ 



Station V., . 



„ II., . . . . 

 „ IV., .... 

 12 to 17 miles E. of May 

 Island, .... 

 Station II., , 

 Cross-section II. (North), 



I 



Eg-s of. 

 Eggs of. 

 1 or 2. 



Brill. 



Probably brill. 

 50. 



Some brill (very advanced). 



