46 



Part III. — I'wenty-first Annual Report 



there were nine, from 123 to 190 mm. The number taken in the 

 small-meshed net in two drags in October, in sixty-five fathoms, off Fair 

 Isle, was 38, measuring from 82 to 179 mm. (3:j-7 inches). In a 

 drag in eighty-five fathoms, east of Flugga, none were obtained in the 

 small-meshed net. The small dabs were more abundant but not 

 numerous at the " Dog Hole," off Aberdeen, those taken in the fine-net 

 in August measuring from 92 mm. upwards, in November 77 and 

 105 mm., and in December from 94 mm. In eighty-five fathoms about 

 eight miles from Kinnaird Head only one was got in July, and it 

 measured 171 mm. 



From the relatively smaller abundance of the adults in the deeper 

 water, one would not expect the young to be in great numbers, but it is 

 surprising that none should have been procured. It is probable that 

 many or most of the common dabs found in the deep water at a 

 distance from shore make their way there from the shallower waters as 

 the plaice does. We know that the dab may move considerable 

 distances in a comparatively short space of time. As a result of the 

 labelling experiments to ascertain the extent of their wanderings, I 

 stated in the Eleventh Annual Report* that "it would appear from 

 these experiments that the common dab is much more active than the 

 plaice, that it moves freely about the territorial waters, going consider- 

 able distances in comparatively short periods, and travelling indifferently 

 in any direction offshore, or inshore, or along the coast." Some of the 

 labelled specimens travelled thirty-seven and twenty-nine miles. 



Lemon Dab (Pleuronectes microcephdlus). 



This flat-fish occurred in very many of the hauls, but only rarely in 

 any considerable numbers, and then for the most part in deepish water 

 in the neighbourhood of hard bottom. It seems to be widely scattered 

 about the North Sea, small forms being intermixed with the large 

 individuals. In Aberdeen Bay the few captured showed a consider- 

 able proportion of unmarketable, viz. fifty, to eighty-two marketable, 

 and this occurred throughout the year. In the Moray Firth they 

 were got on most of the inshore grounds sparingly, but in considerable 

 numbers off Lybster and Dunbeath in sixteen to twenty-four fathoms. 

 Six hauls there in October, in twenty-two to twenty-seven fathoms, 

 yielded 1106 lemon soles, 952 marketable and 154 unmarketable. In 

 November 179 were taken in one haul off Lybster, eighty-four of 

 which were of marketable size, and in January four hauls gave 232, all 

 but twenty-three being marketable. In May one haul yielded six, all 

 unmarketable. They also occur in considerable numbers on Smith 

 Bank at certain times. In May eighty-two were taken in a haul, all 

 but two of which were marketable. In June five hauls produced 

 sixty, of which eleven were unmarketable; in November an hour's 

 drag yielded twenty marketable forms, and in March four drags 

 furnished 238, all except ten of which were marketable. At the outer 

 stations of the "Garland" in the Moray Firth 1251 lemon dabs were 

 taken in 147 hauls, or an average of 8*5, while at the stations near 

 shore 427 were caught, the average being 2*6. The numbers taken at 

 the " Dog Hole " off Aberdeen in depths of from 57 to 70 fathoms 

 contrast with those got in Aberdeen Bay ; eight hauls yielded 374, of 

 which all but twenty-five were marketable. 



On the deep-water grounds in the north-east, lemon dabs were 

 scantily represented. None were taken in the haul in eighty- one 



* Part III., p. 187 



