56 Part III. — Twenty -sixth Annual Report 



made between the results in the two periods of six years is limited to 

 those months and to the five stations shown on the chart (PI. II.) and 

 in the tables. 



The contents of the net on each occasion were placed in a pail of 

 water, and the fishes carefully picked out from the weeds, &c, a process 

 which not infrequently occupied some time. They were then preserved 

 in bottles and brought to the Laboratory, where they were examined and 

 the plaice counted and measured. The conditions at each station as to 

 temperature, weather, &c, were recorded, and the particulars will be 

 found detailed in Table V., page 70. 



9. The Results. 



In Table IV. will be found the records of the plaice taken in the push- 

 net at each of the stations, the measurements being arranged in groups 

 of three millimetres ; in the other tables the results are summarised, and 

 the average number of the young plaice of the year, per one hour's 

 fishing, are given for each collection at each station. As a rule there is 

 no difficulty in separating the plaice of the year from those of the year 

 before by the examination of the measurements, but in a few cases there 

 may be a little doubt whether a particular fish of the larger sizes should 

 be placed in one or other of the two classes. It will be seen that such 

 cases, however, are of little or no importance as regards the average, and 

 would not alter it to an appreciable extent. The collective results of the 

 push- netting may be stated as follows, the total number of the year's 

 plaice obtained being 13,068, and the aggregate number of hours fishing 

 being 239} :— 



No. of Fry No. of Hours No. of Year's Average No. 

 Liberated. Fishing. Plaice taken, per Hour. 



1st Period, 



1896-1901, 142,880,000 74 6,491 87'7 



2nd Period, 



1903-1908, None. 165J 6,577 397 



It will be seen that in the first period, when plaice fry were being put 

 into the loch, the average number of young plaice of the year which were 

 taken per hour's fishing was 87*7, while in the second period, when no 

 fry were added, the average was only 39*7, or less than half. 



The results for the various years differed considerably, as is shown in 

 the following Table : — 



[Table. 



