of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



25 



and at the two stations in the open area, in each year since these experi- 

 ments were begun, are given in the following tables : — 



CLOSED AREA. 







Average Catch per Haul. 





Year. 



No. of Hauls. 











Flat Fish. 



Round Fish. 



All Fish. 



1886 



22 



115-2 



131-7 





251-1 



1887 



28 



200-6 



144-4 





351-5 



1888 



40 



114-6 



92-1 





211-4 



1889 



70 



109-1 



49-8 





164-8 



1890 



63 



100-9 



121-9 





228-9 



1891 



84 



115-0 



67-7 





189-4 



1892 



77 



106-3 



71-3 





184-4 







OPEN AREA. 









Average Catch per Haul. 





Year. 



No. of Hauls. 











Flat Fish. 



Round Fish. 





All Fish. 



1886 



5 



44-0 



36-4 





85-4 



1887 



6 



88-7 



123-4 





213-7 



1888 



10 



32-6 



114-7 





151 -2 



1889 



20 



38-3 



68-6 





111-9 



1890 



16 



53-7 



184-7 





241 -6 



1891 



24 



50-8 



38-6 





93-0 



1892 



22 



43-0 



73-0 





119-4 



Considering the relative abundance of the various kinds of fish within 

 the closed area, the tables show that among flat-fish there was a decrease 

 of all kinds, except long rough dabs. The greatest decrease was in plaice, 

 the average in 1891 being 43*5, and last year 36*4. Among round-fish 

 there was a decrease in cod and whitings, and an increase in haddocks 

 and gurnards. At the stations in the open area there was a decrease in 

 all kinds of flat-fish, except long rough dabs; there was, on the other 

 hand, an increase in round-fish (cod, haddocks, and whitings), except in 

 gurnards, which showed a considerable falling off. 



2. St Andrews Bay. 



During 1892 40 hauls of the trawl were made at the stations in St 

 Andrews Bay — 32 at those within the closed area and 8 outside. In the 

 closed waters there was a slight decrease in the general average of fish 

 captured per ' shot '—from 133*8 in 1891 to 1284 in 1892. The fallirg 

 off was entirely in flat-fish, the average catch of which was only 84*0 last 

 year compared with 109*4 in the previous year. There was a consider- 

 able increase in the average for round-fish, namely, 36-6, as against 19*2 

 in 1891. At the station in the open area the results- show a very marked 

 falling off in the abundance of fish, the average per haul in 1891 being 

 300*1, while last year it was 105*7. This decrease took place entirely 

 in flat-fish, the average catch of which last year was 50*3, as against 



