of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
23 
Besides the periodic examination of the stations in the territorial waters, 
a large number of special observations were made at the fishing grounds 
in the offshore waters, and along carefully selected lines in the Firth of 
Forth. Through the courtesy of Mr James Johnston, a member of the 
Fishery Board, Mr Thomas Scott, F.L.S., was allowed to accompany the 
steam-trawler 1 Southesk ' in its visits to the great fishing grounds in the 
Moray Firth and at other parts of the East Coast, and much valuable 
information was thus obtained. In addition to the ordinary trawling 
experiments a large number of observations were made by means of a 
special net, as to the distribution of immature fish in the territorial and 
extra-territorial waters, and at some of the chief fishing grounds. The 
results are referred to in a special Eeport on the subject (p. 157). 
The statistics in connection with the trawling experiments which have 
been collected, as to the relative amounts of fish landed by line fishermen 
and beam-trawlers along the East Coast ; the quantities obtained by line 
fishermen from the territorial waters where trawling is prohibited ; and 
the proportional amounts of small fish landed by beam-trawlers and line 
fishermen, are discussed below. A part of the work connected with the 
tabulation of some of these statistics has fallen upon the fishery officers 
of the districts concerned, namely, Mr John Murray, Newhaven; Mr 
Mair, Anstruther ; Mr Donald Miller, Montrose ; Mr Bain, Stonehaven ; 
and Mr Couper, Aberdeen. The trawling returns were kept by Mr 
Thomas Scott, F.L.S. I have also to acknowledge the assistance of Mr 
Ramsay Smith, B.Sc, and Dr J. H. Fullarton, in the tabulation of the 
statistics. 
II. THE WORK OF THE ' GARLAND.' 
1. The Firth of Forth. 
Plate L 
The various stations in the Firth of Forth area were examined in 
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, October, and 
November. Altogether 90 hauls of the trawl were made, as compared 
with 50 in 1888, each of the nine stations having been examined on ten 
occasions. Thus, 70 hauls were made within the closed or territorial 
waters and 20 in the open waters outside. The tables referring to these 
observations will be found at page 41. From a careful analysis of the 
results (vide page 38) it is found that, as compared with 1888, there 
has been a general decrease in the numbers of fish taken. In 1888 the 
general average of all kinds of fish captured in the closed area was 211 
per 'shot.' In 1889 it was 164*8 per 'shot/ which is the lowest average 
since these experiments were begun. There has also been a large decrease 
in the average per 'shot' for the open waters, where trawling is not 
restricted. In 1888 it was 151, while last year it was only 111*9. The 
above figures refer to the total of all kinds of fish brought up in the trawl- 
net. On an examination of the returns as to flat-fishes and round-fishes 
it will be found that the diminution is chiefly owing to a decrease in 
round-fish. In 1888 the average number of flat-fish captured in each 
haul in the closed waters was 117; and in 1889, 110*9 — thus showing a 
slight decrease last year. In the open waters the average for 1888 was 
34*4, and for 1889 40*3, indicating, therefore, a slight increase. The 
decrease of round-fish is much more marked. In 1888, in the closed area, 
the average per ' shot 5 was 92*1, and last year only 49*8. In the open area 
