28 



Part III. — Tiventy -first Annual Report 



Five Norway haddocks were also caught in this drag. Two other trawlers 

 were working on the same grounds. 



The fourth haul, in seventy-nine fathoms, yielded 973 fish, of which 

 805 were marketable, the catch including eleven cod, 122 codling, 292 

 haddocks, 307 whitings, three coal-fish, four ling, three tusks, and 155 

 witches. A bib {Gadus luscus) was also taken. One haddock among 

 those taken in this drag, on 3rd June, was spawning, illustrating the 

 fact that the spawning season is later on the deeper northern grounds 

 than farther south, although the bottom water, judging from the few 

 observations made, was only half a degree colder than at the Fisher 

 Bank, where none of the haddocks were observed to be in spawn — and 

 the condition of the haddocks in this respect was made a special point 

 of enquiry. The surface temperature at the Fisher Bank was about 

 2'5° F. warmer than in this locality. 



The fifth haul was made in the same place, in eighty-one fathoms — 

 the deepest of the series — and on a muddy bottom. The total catch 

 was 831 fishes, of which 762 were marketable and 69 unmarketable. It 

 comprised 12 cod, 100 codlings, 281 haddocks, 46 whitings, two saithe, 

 one ling, three tusk, 335 witches, 18 megrims, and a grey skate, as well 

 as three Norway haddocks. 



Other six hauls were made in this neighbourhood, and the particulars 

 of the seven hauls which were completely recorded are as follows, the 

 depths ranging from seventy-six to eighty-one fathoms. The aggregate 

 number of fishes caught was 5244, or an average per four hours' haul of 

 749-1, the average per hour's fishing being 187-3. The marketable 

 fishes numbered 4571, with averages respectively of 653 per haul and 

 163-2 per hour. The unmarketable fishes numbered 673, the respective 

 averages being 96*1 and 24. The particulars for the various species are 

 given in the following Table : — 



Flat Fish. 





Plaice. 



Lemon 

 . Sole. 



Witch. 



Common 

 Dab. 



Long 

 Rough 

 Dab. 



Megrim. 



Halibut. 



No. 





1 



1,574 



2 



413 



146 



1 



Av. per haul, 





0-16 



•224-8 



•3 



59-2 



20-8 



0-16 



Av. per hour, 





0 04 



56-2 



0-07 



14-8 



5-2 



0-04 



Round Fish. 





Cod. 



Codling. 



Had- 

 dock. 



Whit- 

 ing. 



Gur- 

 nard. 



Saithe. 



Ling. 



Tusk. 



Cat- 

 fish. 



No. 



69 



571 



1,794 



513 



36 



37 



18 



10 



1 



Av. per haul, 



10-0 



81-2 



256-4 



73-2 



5-2 



5-2 



2-4 



1-6 



0-16 



Av. per hour, 



2-5 



20-3 



64-1 



18-3 



1-3 



1-3 



0-6 



0-4 



0-04 



The single specimens of the lemon sole and the halibut were got in the 

 same haul in seventy-six fathoms, and the two common dabs in a haul 

 in seventy-nine fathoms. Long rough dabs were present in each haul 



