16 



Part III. — Twenty -third Animal Report 



hauls were made there. The first was imperfect, being a " foul " shot, 

 owing to a turn in the net, and only 127 marketable fishes were secured, 

 mostly plaice and haddocks ; the depth was from about 40 to 43 fathoms. 

 In the next haul on the same ground, in 40 to 43 fathoms, lasting four 

 hours and five minutes, 324 fishes were taken — 169 being marketable and 

 155 unmarketable. Most consisted of haddocks and plaice ; there were 

 also 14 gurnards and 31 dog fishes. A third haul for four hours and 

 ten minutes, in from 28 to 40 fathoms, was still less productive, the total 

 being 250 fishes, 175 being marketable and 75 unmarketable. The 

 numbers of haddocks and plaice of the various classes according to 

 size, in the two hauls were these : — 



1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total 

 Haddock 5 56 10 62 133 

 Plaice 20 46 46 — 112 



The following Table gives the marketable and unmarketable fishes 

 caught in the two hauls, the time of fishing being 8 hours and 15 

 minutes : 





Cod. 



Codling. 



Haddock. 



Whiting. 



Gurnard. 



I. 



It 



Total 



2 



4 



9 



133 

 112 



32 



30 



2 



13 



245 



32 



30 





Plaice. 



Lemon 

 Dab. 



Common 

 Dab. 



Skate. 



Dog-fish. 



I. 

 II. 



Total 



112 



58 



35 



16 



31 



112 



58 



35 



16 



31 



Dunnet Bay was then tried, and a haul taken in 30 to 36 fathoms. 

 After towing for an hour and three-quarters the net caught, and on being 

 brought up it was found that the ground rope was broken, and a good 

 deal of the net missing ; what was left contained five marketable fishes. 



The vessel accordingly returned to the Moray Firth and started fishing 

 south of Lybster, on the grounds off the Ord of Caithness. The wind 

 was still from the south-west and very squally. The first haul, for 4| 

 hours, was made in 23 and 24 fathoms, and 405 fishes were secured, of 

 which 170 were marketable and 235 unmarketable. Among the former 

 were 19 cod, 107 haddocks, and 78 plaice, as well as some lemon dabs 

 and common dabs. The second haul for the same time on the same 

 ground, in 23 to 25 fathoms, was slightly better, 446 fishes being taken — 

 169 marketable and 277 unmarketable. Haddocks, plaice, and dabs were 

 the chief fish represented. Other six hauls were taken on this ground, 

 the catches being under those described, and in one of the hauls the trawl 

 net was practically destroyed, nothing coming up but the ground rope. 

 In the seven hauls, the duration of which was 29 hours and 35 minutes, 



