of the Fishery Board for SeoWnui 



189 



4. TURBOT AND BEILL. 



This fish is rarely got in the ' Garland's ' trawl, and only four specimens 

 were marked and returned to the sea. One of these, which was liberated 

 on 10th November 1892, off Fife Ness, near the North Carr Lightship, was 

 re- captured by a trawler 43 days afterwards, on 23rd December, 

 at a point said to be ' 23 miles S.E. by E. of Montrose,' thus representing 

 a distance travelled of 32 miles. Two brill were marked, but none 

 recovered. 



Besides the turbot and brill liberated from the 1 Garland,' a large 

 number of young individuals of both species, caught in salmon stake-nets 

 in Montrose and St Cyrus Bays, were marked and set free in the water. 

 It appears the men in charge of the stake-nets are in the habit of setting 

 at liberty the young individuals of those valuable fish accidentally caught in 

 the nets ; and by the kindness of Mr James Johnstone, a member of the 

 Fishery Board, 53 young brill, ranging from 5 inches to 11 J inches in 

 length, and 56 young turbot, ranging in length from 4 to 11 inches, were 

 marked and returned to the sea between May and July 1891. Only one 

 of these, however, appears to have been re-captured, namely, a turbot 

 which was returned to the sea on 27th May, and caught again in the same 

 place on 31st August, when it was found to have grown 2 inches longer 

 (see p. 195). 



5. Cod. 



The number of cod marked and liberated was 196, and of these ten, or 

 5-1 percent, were again captured. If the number in which aluminium 

 wire was used be deducted, the percentage of re-captures is increased to 

 5 4 — a pretty fair proportion. Most of the specimens ranged in size 

 between 12 and 16 or 17 inches. The smallest was 7 inches long, and 

 the largest 28 inches; but only 16 of the total exceeded 20 inches in 

 length. The great majority were therefore immature cod — codlings — and 

 they were all re-captured by hook, Considerable difference in regard to 

 the extent of the movement of these fish is indicated in the Table 

 appended, the distance travelled in different cases varying from 1 

 to 52 miles — the average number of miles being 13*8, and the mean 

 period of freedom 74 - 7 days. It will be observed that one codling, 17 

 inches long, travelled only 1 mile in 33 days ; another 14 J inches in 

 length, 4 miles in 104 days; another, 15 J inches long, 1J miles in 200 

 days. On the other hand, a codling, 16| inches long, travelled 22 miles 

 in 27 days; another, 22 miles in 40 days, and a third, 15^ 

 inches in length, no less than 52 miles in 69 days. This 

 fish was marked and liberated on 24th November 1892, about 

 2 miles off Anstruther in the Firth of Forth, and on 1st February 

 1893 it was caught by a line boat about 2 miles off Dunottar Castle, near 

 Stonehaven, Kincardineshire. Only part of it bearing the label came 

 into my possession ; but Mr W. Bain, the Fishery Officer of the district, 

 made careful inquiries as to its capture, and there is no doubt that it was 

 caught at the place mentioned. It would thus appear that codling may 

 remain for an extended period at about the same place in the territorial 

 waters, or they may travel long distances with considerable speed. In 

 the one case in which a fish above the minimum size of maturity was 

 recovered, it had travelled from near Inchkeith, seawards, a distance of 

 over 15 miles ; and when captured on 12th February it was found to be a 

 male with the reproductive organs large and approaching maturity. It will 

 be noticed that of two codlings set free on the 18th and 19th February 

 N 



