of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



21 



The catch was a poor one, the number of fishes obtained being 918, 

 of which 782 were marketable ; the net, however, was slightly split 

 Four cod, seventy- two codlings, one saithe, eight cat-fish, and one hali- 

 but were among the fishes caught, but haddocks continued to be scarce, 

 only 511 being taken (260 large), and only sixteen witches and three 

 megrims were secured. The somewhat shallower water of this haul 

 was responsible for two plaice being taken and a larger number than 

 usual of common dabs, viz. seventy-eight. A few haddocks and many 

 whitings were found to be spawning. 



The tenth haul was made in the same locality, the depth being fifty- 

 eight fathoms, the wind blowing a moderate breeze from the west, and 

 the sea continuing choppy. The five hours' drag resulted in a catch of 

 1340 fishes, of which 1149 were marketable, comprising four cod, 154 

 codling, 637 haddocks, 265 whitings, four ling, one hake, two tusk, two 

 coal-fish, nine cat-fish, but only thirty-two witches and four megrims. 

 Plaice were again present, viz. three, as well as three lemon soles, 

 eighty-three common dabs, and eighteen starry rays. 



The eleventh haul was made in sixty-three fathoms in the same 

 locality, the bottom being sandy. The catch was not fully enumerated, 

 but it included a basket of codling, two cod, six-and-three- quarter 

 baskets of haddocks (four of large), a basket of whiting, a ling, a tusk, 

 four cat-fish, a halibut, a megrim, eighteen witches, and one plaice, as 

 well as seventy-two common dabs. As usual when considerable numbers 

 of common dabs are taken in the deeper water, the long rough dab was 

 less abundantly represented, only nineteen being taken. 



Early in the morning of the 27th the trawl was again shot, in 

 fifty-eight fathoms, the wind blowing a moderate breeze from S.S.W. 

 After the lapse of five hours it was found on hauling that almost the 

 entire net had been torn away, lea,ving the ground-rope and the boards 

 attached — an illustration of the vicissitudes of trawling. The net had 

 probably caught on rocks or wreckage. On sounding, the depth was 

 found to be sixty-six fathoms, and the bottom sandy and rocky. The 

 vessel then steamed thirty-two miles to the south-west in Square XV., 

 the ground being supposed to be the western part of Bressay Shoal. 

 Here the trawl was dropped in seventy-four fathoms, the bottom being 

 muddy. 



The catch consisted of 1670 fishes, 957 being marketable and 713 un- 

 marketable. The marketable fishes included seven cod, ninety-two codling, 

 620 haddocks (258 large), one coal-fish, two tusk, one cat-fish, two hali- 

 but, 139 witches, and three megrims. There were no plaice, but five 

 small leraon soles. Long rough dabs were abundant, the number taken 

 being 672, while there were only five common dabs. One Norway 

 haddock (Sehasies) was caught ; one haddock was found to be spawning. 

 The bottom-temperature was 42*9*^ F. and the surface-temperature 

 44-6'* F. 



The fourteenth haul was made in the same locality, on a muddy 

 bottom, in seventy-three fathoms. A complete enumeration of the 

 fishes caught was not made, but they included one-and-a-half basket of 

 codlings, six-and a-quarter baskets of haddocks (2| of large), three- 

 quarters of a basket of whitings, eleven saithe or coal-fish, one cat-fish, 

 one-and-a-half basket of witches, four grey skates, 327 long rough 

 dabs, one common dab, one gurnard, two megrims, and twenty-nine 

 starry rays. 



The next drag was made in the same place in seventy-two fathoms, 

 and 946 fishes were secured in the five hours. The number of market- 

 able haddocks was 442 ; there were also three cod, forty-five marketable 

 codlings, two coal-fish, two cat-fish, 109 witches, nine megrims, forty- 

 three starry rays, 234 long rough dabs, and two common dabs. 



