56 Part III. — Tiuenty-Jirst Annual Report 





Duration of 



Cod. 



Codling. 



Total. 





Fishing. 



I. 



II. 



15th January, 



H. M. 



2-0 



6-0 



2-0 



10-0 



13th May, 



1 5 



0-9 



137 



0-0 



14-5 



28th June, . 



1 10 



7-5 



0-0 



8-4 



15-8 



30th July, . 



1 6 



4-5 



AO 4 



10 0 



46-5 



21st August, 



1 23 



0-8 



17-0 



36-1 



53-9 



5th, 28th November, . 



2 50 



1-4 



8-9 



1-4 



11-8 



16th December. . 



1 



0-0 



59-0 



5-0 



64-4 





9 34 



2-3 



16-4 



0-9 



27-6 





Per cent. 



8-3 



59-3 



32-3 





It will be found on comparing the averages with those given above 

 for Aberdeen Bay in corresponding months that the large cod in 

 summer were more numerous offshore ; in most cases also the large 

 codlings were more abundant, and in all cases the small codlings. The 

 number of hauls, however, is small. 



In the nine hauls made on the Great Fisher Bank at the beginning 

 of June, in thirty-four fathoms, the cod was not very abundant, the 

 total number taken being 131, or 3'6 per haul; adult cod numbered 

 fifty- two, the average per haul being 1*4; marketable codlings 

 numbered 34, with an average of 0"9, and the small unmarketable 

 codlings forty-five, the average being 1*2. The percentages were — 

 adults, 39*7, large codling 26*0, and small codlings, 34" 3. The averages 

 for large cod were very much the same in Aberdeen Bay and the 

 Moray Firth in the corresponding month, viz. 1-5 and 1*3 ; those for 

 the larger codlings were less in Aberdeen Bay and greater in the Moray 

 Firth ; and those for the smaller codlings were less in both places. 



The younger codlings were most abundant actually and relatively on 

 the Fisher Bank. 



In the hauls taken In the deep water on the north-eastern grounds 

 the proportions were diff'erent. In those made towards the end of May 

 in from fifty-eight to seventy-six fathoms, to the south-east of the 

 Shetlands, the average number of cod taken per hour was I'O, of 

 marketable codlings 19*4, and of the small unmarketable codlings 0*3, 

 the average for all sizes being 20*7. The percentages were respectively 

 4'7, 93'8, and 1*5, showing a relatively great preponderance of the 

 larger codlings. In the hauls made in June further to the south, off" 

 the northern coast of Aberdeen, in from sixty-four to seventy-one 

 fathoms, the preponderance was not so marked. The average for the 

 large cod was 3-1, for the large codlings 4*9, and for the small codlings 

 0*2, and the percentages were 47*6, 59*4, and 3*0. In the same 

 region, but in somewhat deeper water, viz. from seventy-six to eighty- 

 one fathoms, the relative abundance of large codling was greater. The 

 averages per hour were, for cod 2*4, for large codlings 19-8, and for 

 small codlings 0-5, and for all sizes 22-9. The percentages were, for 

 cod 10-8, for large codling 86*9, and for the small codling 2*3. In a 



