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Part III. — Eighth Annual Report 
XL FLAT FISH. 
Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa). — The number of plaice examined, from 
May 1889 to May 1890, was 1613. Close upon 500 were from the Firth 
of Forth ; about 370 from St Andrews Bay, and the remainder from the 
Stations at Montrose, Aberdeen, and the Moray Firth, and from Smith 
Bank and other offshore grounds. Fishery officers examined 145. 
Territorial Waters. — In the Firth of Forth none were found ripe. 
In October and November, 1889, two males and four females were found 
nearly ripe at the stations at the mouth of the Firth of Forth. They 
were all large fish, 18 to 24 inches long. At St Andrews Bay in August 
a large female 26 inches long was spent. The observations made from 
February to May are of interest. In February, males and females up to 
17 J inches long were quite immature at the inner stations in the Forth. 
On 21st February a female 27 inches long was taken at Station VI. in a 
spent condition; some, 16 and 17 inches long, were nearly mature. In 
March, at all the stations in the Forth and St Andrews Bay, all the fish 
examined were immature. At the inner stations in the Forth some of 
these were 16 and 17 inches long. In St Andrews Bay, a female was 
caught at Station I., 24 inches long and immature. In the end of April, 
all were immature up to 17J inches at the Forth Stations ; two spent 
females, 20 inches and 23 inches long, were taken on the 25th at Station 
VI. In May (12th to 16th), all were immature; but at Station VI. 
some very large females were found to be spent, their lengths being from 
19 to 23 inches. In St Andrews Bay, on May 1st and 2nd, all were im- 
mature ; at Station I., a female, 25 inches long, was spent. The same 
conditions were found at the Moray Firth Stations, and at Montrose and 
Aberdeen in May. At Montrose all were immature (up to 16 inches), 
except one male on May 19th, 21 inches long, which was nearly mature. 
At Aberdeen all were immature, up to 18 inches in length, except one 
male at 16 inches, which was nearly mature. At the stations in the 
territorial waters in the Moray Firth, all were immature at the end of 
May (26th to 29th) ; but there were considerable numbers of large spent 
fish. Of 51 females, of all sizes examined, 15 were spent. All those 
above 20 inches were spent ; none below 20 inches were spent. These 
fish had no doubt spawned offshore, probably at Smith Bank in March, 
and had then retreated to the territorial waters. 
Offshore Grounds. — The fishery officers examined above 200 plaice, 
landed along the East Coast from July to the end of December ; but 
none were ripe. In January, 55, examined at Aberdeen, had the 'roe 
' forming.' 
At Smith Bank, on February 5th, 1890, a considerable number were 
examined by Mr Scott, but only a few were nearly mature ; one male was 
mature. In February, of six plaice from Smith Bank, examined at 
Montrose, three females and two males were mature: of 70 caught 
in the Moray Firth, and examined at Aberdeen, ten females were 
spawning, and others were spent : of 15 from Smith Bank, examined 
at Burghead, three males and five females were mature. On 
February 23rd large numbers of full-sized plaice were caught at Smith 
Bank; none appeared to be actually spawning, but they were just 
about fully ripe. On May 24th, Mr Scott found males up to 15 inches 
and females up to 19 inches immature; one female, 21 inches long 
was spent. On February 6th, a large number of full-sized plaice were 
taken from 22-25 miles S.E. of Montrose ; they were all nearly ripe 
but none fully mature. In March, of 30 from the Moray Firth, 
