of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



187 



herring was the cause ; and not only anglers, but numerous coJ, large 

 codling, and saithe, and some ling and hake, were also attracted. There 

 were few haddocks or whitings on the ground. The average numbers of 

 anglers taken on this ^ground in the various months, per ten hours of 

 trawling, were : — January 16, February 103, March 32, May 75, June 25, 

 July 12, August 47, September 5, and December 32 ; no hauls were made 

 on it in August, October, or November. 



It is noteworthy that very young anglers, but still quite large enough 

 to be retained in the meshes of the otter-trawl, were exceedingly scarce, 

 a remark that indeed applies to the smaller individuals of many other 

 forms. From the great development of the head, comparatively small 

 specimens would be caught if they entered the net. Occasionally speci- 

 mens under seven inches are obtained, but not very commonly. Among 

 the measurements of 644 at different places and times I find the 

 following : — 





Under 

 8 inches. 



Under 

 7 inches. 



Under 

 6 inches. 



Under 

 5| inches. 



5 inches. 



No. •• 



57 



30 



13 



6 



1 



of Total - 



8-8 



4-6 



2-0 



0-9 



0-2 



The comparative scarcity of the young anglers is very probably owing 

 to the reason that I have elsewhere suggested to account for the absence 

 of other young forms. They are obviously uncommon on bottoms suited 

 for trawling, or they would be taken in much greater numbers. A pelagic 

 habit in their case is out of the question much after the postdarval stage, 

 and it is probable, as I suggested some years ago,* that the young anglers 

 frequent rocky algse-covered ground where they can have shelter and also 

 suitable food. This view is supported by the large number of small anglers 

 that were taken in one haul in November on the edge of such rocky 

 ground — viz., offLybster, on the Caithness coast, in from twenty-three to 

 thirty-four fathoms, where the trawl-net not uncommonly comes to grief. 

 Of thirty-six anglers taken in this haul no less than twenty-seven were 

 under 200 mm. (7|- inches), and another was 201 mm. They are included 

 above, and thus make the proportion of the small anglers as indicated 

 much greater than in ordinary circumstances. The size ranged from 128 

 to 198 mm. (^Yg— 7-}|- inches), the average being 153*5 mm., or a little over 

 six inches. These young anglers were feeding on sand-eels, which had 

 probably tempted them from their rocky fastnesses. The next sizes were 

 277, 298, etc., mm. 



Of other 210 anglers got at various times iu other hauls in the Moray 

 Firth only three were under 20 cm. Two of these measured 198 mm., 

 one got in June in from five to fourteen fathoms in Burghead Bay, and 

 the other in the Dornoch Firth in July in from eight to eleven fathoms. 

 At one point of the Dornoch Firth, it may be said, the bottom consists 

 of rocks, extending far out. Another caught in the latter place in 

 November measured 127 mm., or exactly five inches. 



Since this specimen appears to be one of the smallest recorded, I give 

 the following particulars. The exact colouring was not noted at the 



* Eight Ann. Rep., Part III., p. 177 (1889). 



