of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
187 
been in use since 1861 in some places, is madeon the principle of alobster-pot, 
consisting of a barrel-shaped frame, 75 centimetres (about 30 inches) long, 
and covered with netting having meshes 10 millimetres (nearly two-fifths 
of an inch) wide. There are openings at each end, and bait is suspended 
within. A hundred boats at Croisie, each attending to from 25 to 30 traps, 
land on an average 80,000 kilogrammes of shrimps annually, between 1st 
May and 31st October, valued at 220,000 francs. If this system, which 
is entirely innocent of the destruction of immature fish, has been so 
successful in France, it should be tried in this country; and I hope to 
make experiments with it in the Sol way. 
It has been shown above that shrimp- trawling involves the capture of 
very large quantities of immature flat-fish, and the possible destruction of 
considerable numbers. Before, however, any attempt is made* to deal 
with this mode of fishing by enactment, it would be prudent to have a 
thorough inquiry made into it. The main points to be determined are (1) 
what are the quantities of immature fish captured, especially of the more 
valuable flat-fishes, such as soles, plaice, turbot, and brill ; (2) what is 
the proportion of those captured which are destroyed by the ordinary 
practice, and how may this destruction be avoided. The inquiry would 
involve experimental observations as to the vitality of the immature fish 
captured, at intervals after capture, and when returned to the sea. I 
hope to undertake an inquiry of this nature in the ensuing season. 
3. Line Fishing. 
It is frequently stated that line fishermen land large quantities of 
immature round fish, especially during certain months of the year. The 
inquiries made by the Fishery Board into this subject have been by (1) 
the collection of special statistics as to the fish lauded in certain districts ; 
(2) experiments in line fishing on board the ' Garland ' (during my 
inquiry into the value of different baits). In the statistical inquiry 
the fish were not measured, but were classed into 4 large,' ' small,' &c, 
by the fishery correspondents. These terms are capable, no doubt, of 
latitude in interpretation ; but the statistics referring, as they do, to very 
large quantities over considerable areas, are of value. In order to 
bring the terms into relation with the sizes of immature and adult 
fish, I give the following Table, prepared by one of our most experienced 
fishery officers, Mr John Murray, of the number of inches which divides 
large from small 
Ling, 
35 
Halibut, . 
Hake, 
24 
Brill, 
Saithe, 
24 
Lemon sole, 
Haddock, . 
10 
Plaice, 
Whiting, . 
12 
Witches, . 
Cod,. 
24 
Skate, 
Turbot, . 
17 
36 
12 
11 
11 
11 
35 
The statistics available are (1) those of the Buckhaven cod and 
haddock fishery for the past six years ; (2) those showing the fish 
landed during 1889 in the Leith, Anstruther, and Aberdeen districts; 
(3) those kept by the fishermen of certain boats fishing on the East 
Coast. 
The Buckhaven statistics show the monthly quantities of cod and of 
large haddocks and small haddocks and whitings landed since 1884. 
In the six years, 1884-89, 33,288 shots were made; the following Table 
gives the average number per shot of large haddocks on the one hand, 
and of small haddocks and whitings on the other. 
