mTm A. -GENERAL REPORTS. 



I.— REPORT 0^ THE TRAWLING EXPERIMENTS OF THE 

 'GARLAND,' AND ON THE FISHERY STATISTICS 

 RELATING THERETO. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



During the year 1897 the trawling operations of the 'Garland' were 

 for the most part conducted in the Moray Firth and in the Firth of Clyde. 

 The number of hauls of the trawl made in these areas was 114, the 

 stations having been examined in April, May, June, September, and 

 November. The work at each station consists (1) in trawling along a 

 selected line for a specified distance, all the fish caught being carefully 

 enumerated, measured, and recorded ; (2) observations on the temperature, 

 salinity, and transparency of the water, and on the condition of the weather 

 and sea ; (3) determination of the invertebrate fauna living on the bottom, 

 which constitutes the principal food of the fishes caught in the net; (4) 

 ^volumetric and specific determination of the pelagic fauna floating in the 

 water. The Tables relating to these investigations are appended to this 

 Report. In addition, investigations have been made on the distribution 

 of pelagic eggs and larval fishes by Mr. H. Ch. Williamson, and on the 

 distribution of immature and spawning fishes. 



The ' Garland ' was also employed, in connection with the sea-fish 

 hatchery at Dunbar, in procuring adult flat-fishes and in the transportation 

 of the fry, and in making enquiries into the herring fishing in Loch Fyne. 



The statistics which have been collected in connection with the trawl- 

 ing experiments in the M oray Firth, showing the quantities of the various 

 kinds of fish caught by line fishermen within the closed waters in each 

 month of the year and for the whole year, are appended to this Report 

 and are discussed below. These statistics were collected by the fishery 

 officers of the respective districts, or by their correspondents. The 

 trawling records were made by Mr. Thomas Scott, F.L.S., and by 

 Mr. F. G. Pearcey; occasionally by Captain Campbell, in command of the 

 * Garland.' 



