of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
261 
examined at Aberdeen, five males and fourteen females were ripe. In 
March, of 14 caught £ 60 miles off Fraserburgh (1 Smith Bank) 
four females were mature. In April, of 30 caught from 10 to 20 
miles east of May Island, two females and five males were ripe. In 
May 40 were immature. 
Thus it appears : — (1) That plaice do not spawn in territorial waters on 
the East Coast of Scotland, but at grounds lying offshore as far as 20 or 
25 miles ; they probably also spawn at greater distances and somewhat 
nearer the shore, — especially off the mouth of the Firth of Forth. The 
floating ova of plaice were found by the ' Garland,' at Smith Bank on 
February 4th and 5th j 22-25 miles S.E. of Montrose on February 6th 
and 7th; at the outer stations of St Andrews Bay on March 26th; at 
the mouth of the Firth of Forth on February 22nd and March 18th, and 
East of Inchkeith on March 21st ; larval forms, which Professor M'Intosh 
considers may be those of plaice, were found at Station III. (near shore) 
St Andrews Bay, on May 2nd, and East of Inchkeith, in the Firth of 
Forth, on March 21st, (2) That they spawn chiefly during January, 
February, and March ; but that the time may vary in different years. At 
Smith Bank, the congregation of spawning plaice was much later in 
1890 than in 1889, (3) That the larger adult plaice in the territorial 
waters migrate at the approach of the spawning time to offshore grounds, 
and return to the territorial waters on the completion of spawning. 
Lemon Sole (Pleuronectes microcephalics. — The number of lemon soles 
examined was 722. The majority were obtained from the Firth of 
Forth ; but a large number were from the Moray Forth, and other 
parts of the East Coast. 
Territorial Waters. — Of 50 examined in the Firth of Forth in June, 
one female was ripe at Station V., and two females and one male nearly 
ripe. Of 41 in July 1889, 8 were nearly ripe. In August, of 49 specimens 
examined, one was nearly ripe. In October of 25 specimens, one was 
nearly ripe. None were found nearly ripe until March 1 4th, when two 
males were in that condition. In April, of 32 examined, one male was 
ripe ; 7 were nearly ripe ; and 5 females were also nearly ripe. In May, 
of 39, one male was ripe near May Island, and one male and three females 
were nearly ripe. In St Andrews Bay lemon soles are rare. All those 
examined in June, August, October, March, and May were immature. In 
the Moray Firth, at the end of May, one male was nearly mature and 
another ripe. No ripe females were obtained, but several were nearly 
mature. Of sixteen examined at the end of June, two females were 
mature, and one nearly ripe. On July 9 th, another ripe female was 
obtained. At Aberdeen, on May 20th, a ripe male was got ; two females 
were nearly mature. 
Of shore Grounds. — In July — when there were no mature specimens 
among the 41 from the Firth proper — ripe specimens were obtained off- 
shore. At Station VIII. the only specimen caught, a female 14 inches 
long, was fully ripe ; at Station IX., which lies from 5 to 10 miles east of 
May Island, of four specimens examined in July all were ripe. The largest 
mature female was 16 J inches long, and the smallest 14 inches; the 
largest ripe male was 10 J inches and the smallest 8£ inches. Of 30 
caught from July 1st to 31st, 20 to 30 miles S.E. of Montrose, eleven were 
ripe. In August, most, and in September all were spent ; on August 23rd, 
one male, caught 25 miles off, was ripe. At the end of August one 
female was found to be nearly mature at Station VIII. and one at Station 
IX. in November. At Station VIII. one male was ripe in April ; and a 
female and a male nearly ripe in May. At Liston Bank, 22 miles from 
