of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



23 



The most abundant of all the flat-fishes — and next, indeed, in aggre- 

 gate numbers to the haddock and whiting — was the long rough dab, 

 which gave an average of 299 -4 per haul. This figure does not, how- 

 ever, represent anything like the true proportion of this fish present on 

 the grounds, because only the larger individuals are taken in the ordi- 

 nary otter-net, the great majority passing through the meshes ; while, 

 on the contrary, most of the megrims and witches on the grounds, as 

 the experiments I previously made with small-meshed nets proved, are 

 caught. Witches are next in numbers, giving an average of 125*3 per 

 haul, and megrims third with 24-6. The common dabs, taking all the 

 hauls together, gave an average of 22 '2. Plaice were only got in a few 

 of the hauls in the shallow water — fifty-eighty and sixty fathoms — the 

 total number being five, or 0'5 per haul. Lemon soles were also 

 uncommon, ten being taken, or an average of one per haul. 



The corresponding details concerning round-fishes are these : — 





Cod. 



Cod- 

 ling. 



Had- 

 dock. 



Whit- 

 ing. 



Gur- 

 nard. 



Saithe. 



Hake. 



Ling. 



Tusk. 



Cat- 

 fish. 



I. 



49 



972 



9,054 



3,146 



172 



18 



25 



11 



13 



45 



11. 





15 



34 



17 



118 







1 





3 



Total, . 



49 



987 



9,088 



3,163 



290 



18 



25 



15 



13 



48 



Aver, per haul, 



4-9 



98-7 



908-8 



316-3 



29-0 



1-8 



2-5 



1-5 



1-3 



4-8 



Average per \ 

 hour's fishing, j" 



0-9 



19-7 



181-8 



63-3 



5-8 



0-4 



0-5 



0-3 



0-3 



0-9 



Cod were not numerous, only forty-nine being obtained, or 4-9 per 

 haul, while the codling numbered 987, or an average of 98-7 per haul, 

 the proportion being about twenty codlings to one cod. In the hauls 

 farther south and on the Fisher Bank the proportion was much less. 

 Haddocks, which formed about half of the whole catch, and considerably 

 more than half of the marketable fish, numbered 9088, the average 

 per haul being 908-8. The majority consisted of the third, or smallest, 

 class. Whitings numbered 3163, the average per haul being 316-3. 

 Gurnards were taken in eight of the ten hauls, the number in a haul 

 ranging from two to ninety-one — the latter in seventy-one fathoms, 

 — the aggregate being 290 and the average per haul 29-0. 



Among the *'long" fish obtained were eighteen saithe or coal-fish, 

 twenty-five hake, fifteen ling, thirteen tusk, and forty-eight cat-fish, 

 the respective averages per haul being 1-8, 2*5, 1'5, 1-3, and 4*8. Cat-fisu 

 were taken in each haul, the number in a haul varying from one to 

 twelve ; tusk in seven hauls, the number never exceeding three in any of 

 them ; coal-fish were got in eight hauls, the highest number in an 

 individual haul being five ; ling were taken in six hauls, the largest 

 number being four ; while hake were represented in five of the hauls, in 

 numbers ranging from one to eleven. 



Among skates and rays, the starry ray was most abundant, 157 

 being taken, or an average of 15'7 per haul; the numbers in individual 

 catches varying from seven to forty -three, and some were got in nine 

 of the drags. Twenty-seven anglers were caught, or 2*7 per haul. 

 Amongst the other fishes were three Norway haddocks and two 

 dog-fish. 



