254 



Part III. — Twenty-third Annual Report 



which these grounds are situated. The statistics of the vessels in 1903, 

 for which I am indebted to Professor D'Arcy Thompson, show the 

 following, in cwts. per 100 lines used, for Square XX., in which the 

 " Reef " lies :— 





Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



April. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sapt. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Codling-, - 









30-0 



60-6 

 5-75 



69-6 

 2-6 



92-8 

 4-6 



114-8 

 37-5 



161-1 



5-24 



1431 

 4-69 



109-6 

 6-2 





And the complete statistics for the various Squares in the North Sea, 

 in which the vessels fished in the last five months of the year are 

 these : — 





XIII. 



XVI. 



XVII. 



XVIII. 



XX. 



XXI. 



XXII. 



XXIII. 



XXIV. 



XXV. 



XXVI. 



XXVIII. 



XXIX. 



August, - 











114-8 



551 











63-7 





0-8 



September, - 





75 







161-1 







13-3 



35 









0-6 



October, - 











143-1 







31-9 



50 



174-2 







39*5 



November, 







40-9 



23-6 



109-6 





20-2 



63-5 











44-6 



December, 



83-3 





69- 



31-8 







42-4 



54- 









34-1 



541 



Square XXV., it may be said, lies to the south of XX., contiguous 

 with it. 



Dr. Hjort, of the Norwegian Fishery Board, who visited the grounds 

 in the " Michael Sars," the Norwegian investigation steamer, last 

 August, has pointed out as an interesting fact that the temperature at 

 the place where the spawning cod are found in autumn is the lowest 

 for the year in the locality, while on the coastal banks, where the 

 spawning takes place in spring, the temperature is also at the lowest 

 during the spawning time. 



