22 



Part III. — Twenty-third Annual Report 



The vessel then steamed to the south coast of the Moray Firth and 

 took a haul with the small-meshed net around the cod-end, between 

 Findhorn and Burghead, in 30 to 32 fathoms, the haul lasting for an 

 hour. The total number of fishes obtained, was 1753, belonging 

 to eighteen species, as follows : — 



Codling, 



10 



Plaice, 



1 



Coalfish, 



1 



Lemon Dab, 



14 



Haddock, 



19 



Common Dab, 



68 



Whiting, 



20 



Witch, 



221 



Norway Pout, 



- 387 



Long Kough Dab, 



516 



Herring, 



36 



Megrim, 



1 



Sprat, 



74 



Flounder, 



4 



Lumpenus, 



- 365 



Thornback, - 



1 



Dragonet, 



2 



Angler, 



13 



Smith Bank was then visited, and a haul made there with the small- 

 meshed net for twenty-five minutes (the net catching on the bottom after 

 that interval and being hauled) in 22 fathoms. The number of fishes 

 caught was 1545, belonging to thirteen species, as follows : — 



Codling, 



34 



Plaice, 



2 



Haddock, 



- 444 



Lemon Dab, 

 Common Dab, 



10 



Whiting, 



502 



99 



Ling, - 



1 



Long Rough Dab, 



6 



Poorcod, 



- 436 



Catfish, 



3 



Norway Pout, 



6 



Herring. 



1 



Gurnard, 



1 







Before returning to Aberdeen a haul with the small-meshed net was 

 taken in Aberdeen Bay, in the northern part, but the net came up much 

 torn and no fishes were caught ; there was a heavy sea and a strong wind. 



According to the market statistics, the quantity of fish landed 

 amounted to 246| cwts., as follows : — 



Cod. Codling. Saithe. Haddock. Whiting. Turbot. Brill. Lemon Dab. Plaice. 

 1784 'i If 17 2J | $ 2i 21i 



Dabs. Witch. Skate. Cat-fish. Monk. 

 2| 5| 9 3£ 1 



III. 



The next series of trawlings was made at the end of September and 

 the beginning of October, the steam trawler " Star of the Ocean " being 

 employed. The first place visited was the deep hole off Fraserburgh, 

 where a haul was made in 75 fathoms, a dan being put down in 70 

 fathoms. In sounding, a depth of 1 30 fathoms was got in the locality, 

 fine dirty sand being on the armature of the lead. The net became 

 fast and it was hauled in two hours in 35 fathoms. The catch 

 comprised 1177 fishes, of which 900 were marketable and 277 un- 

 marketable. Haddocks were best represented, the number taken being 

 825, but most of them were small. There were also 44 cod and 170 

 codling, 44 whiting, 11 gurnards, 18 lemon dabs, 11 megrims, and 1 

 witch, with some other fishes. No plaice or common dabs were caught. 



Burghead Bay was then visited and a couple of drags made in from 

 5 to 12 fathoms. In the first, which lasted for four hours and ten 



