of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



25 



were taken in the deepest haul, in seventy-eight fathoms, twenty-six 

 being taken there. The number of anglers obtained in the deeper water 

 was nineteen, or an average of 3*8 per haul; in the two drags in 

 shallower water only one was caught. Twenty-five starry rays were 

 taken in fifty and sixty fathoms, an average per haul of 12-5 ; eighty were 

 caught in from seventy-one to seventy- eight fathoms, the average being 

 16. 



The records of these hauls do not, however, give a proper idea of 

 the proportional abundance of the various species of fish present on the 

 grounds, because the smaller forms escape through the meshes of the 

 ordinary otter-trawl. Experiments on a former occasion with small- 

 meshed nets showed that the Norway pout {Gadus Esmarldi) exists in 

 great numbers, as well as long rough dabs of all sizes. A coal-fish taken 

 in the fifth haul, in seventy-one fathoms, was found to have in its 

 stomach two argentines and two Norway pouts. 



I append the records of the temperature observations: — 



Date. 



Depth. 



Approximate Position. 



Air. 



Surface. 



Bottom. 



1902. 



23 May 



Fms. 

 67^ 



About 80 miles S.S.E. of Sumburgh Head 



45-7 



44-0 



42-8 



24 „ 



71 



About 50 miles E. by S. of Sumburgh Head 



52-0 



45-1 



43-3 



26 „ 



60 



About 50-60 miles E.S.E. of Bressay 



46-5 



45-0 



43-5 



27 „ 



u{ 



About 50-60 miles S.E. by E. of Sumburgh \ 

 Head / 



46-0 



44-6 



42-9 



28 „ 



70 



Do. do. do. 



46-4 



45-0 



43*8 



S. The Great Fisher Bank and North- Eastern Grounds in June. 



A voyage to the eastern side of the North Sea was made at the 

 end of May on board the steam-trawler " Caledonia I.," the recorder 

 in this instance being also Mr. William Mason. The vessel left Aber- 

 deen on the morning of May 30th, steering a course E. by S. from 

 Girdleness, and steaming a distance of 170 miles to the Great Fisher 

 Bank. The first haul was made the next morning, the depth being 

 thirty-four fathoms and the bottom sandy. There was a moderate 

 easterly breeze and the sea was choppy ; the temperature of the surface 

 water was 48-2®F., and of the bottom water 43-2<^F. The drag lasted 

 four hours and the catch was small, the fishes numbering 432, of which 

 326 were marketable and 106 unmarketable, the latter consisting 

 chiefly of small haddocks and whitings. Included among the market- 

 able fishes were 230 haddocks — only forty-three, or about half 

 a basket, being "firsts" — thirty-seven whitings, five cat-fish, seven 

 gurnards, one halibut, forty plaice, and one grey skate. 



The second haul, in the same depth, was hardly more productive, 445 

 fishes being obtained, 327 of which were marketable and 118 unmarket- 

 able, the latter again consisting for the most part of small haddocks 

 and whitings. Five cod were included in the marketable catch, 213 

 haddocks, twenty-five whitings, five cat-fish, one ling, one small halibut, 

 and seventy-three plaice. Two other trawlers were observed working in 

 the immediate neighbourhood. 



Ten other hauls were made on this ground, each for four hours, but 

 the fishing continued unproductive. The largest number of fish caught 

 in any of the hauls completely recorded was 642, of which 371 were 

 marketable, and the smallest number in any haul was 235, of which 204 



