268 
Part III. — Eighth Annual Report 
from 12 to 22 inches long, and males from 13^ to 14 inches, were three 
parts mature. On April 15th, of six females examined, four from 11 to 
13 inches were spawning. No ripe fish were obtained at Aberdeen, 
Montrose, or Moray Firth in June, July, or September. In May 1890, 
no males were ripe, one, 11 -J inches long, at Montrose, was nearly ripe ; 
most are described as immature. Two females of 12 \ and 13 inches 
were ripe, one at Aberdeen and one in the Moray Firth ; one 12 \ inches 
long was spent. 
Offshore Grounds. — At Stations VIII. and IX., in the Forth area, in 
May, four females were ripe and two males nearly ripe ; on June 6th, one 
female was mature ; all were immature thereafter till February. On 
February 14th, of thirteen specimens, six males and four females were 
nearly ripe; on March 18th, of 19 specimens, three males and two 
females were ripe, and two males and nine females nearly mature ; on 
April 24th, of 20 specimens, six females from 11 to 14 J inches, and 
three males, 10^- to 14 inches, were ripe j on May 13th, of 19 specimens, 
none were mature \ two males and four females were nearly mature. 
Ten miles off Dunbar, on March 7th, none were ripe, but individuals from 
11^ to 15 inches were nearly ripe. 
Lythe (Gadus pollachius). — Of nine specimens examined, none were 
found ripe or nearly ripe in June, July, August, or October. 
Saithe (Gadus wrens). — Of six examined, on February 4th, in the 
Moray Firth, females from 14 to 15 J inches were immature; two males, 
37 to 38 inches were fully half mature. Of 494 examined by fishery 
officers, 14 were ripe, one on July 5th, 100 miles east of May Island ; 6 on 
February 22nd, 10 miles off May Island ; 4 on February 22nd, twelve miles 
off ; one on March 4th, ten miles from May Island; one on April 15th, 15 
miles off Eyemouth. Most obtained in March, all but one in April, and 
all in May were spent. 
Brassie (Gadus luscus). — Twenty-three specimens were examined. 
From July to February none were found ripe in the Firth of Forth. In 
February, a female and a male were fully half mature. On March 14th, 
at Station IV., a female, 9 inches long, was fully ripe. On May 13th, a 
fully ripe female, also 9 inches in length, was caught at Station VIII. 
Pelagic ova, which Professor M'Intosh thinks may belong to the brassie, 
were got in the surface tow-net at Station L, on 28th March. 
Ling (Moloa vulgaris). — Of ten specimens examined by the ' Garland ' 
in April, August, October, and November, all were immature. A female 
taken on February 4th, offshore, in the Moray Firth, was about half ripe ; 
a female, 26 inches long, captured off Dunbar at the end of December, was 
about half mature. Fishery officers examined 775 specimens, of which 
127 were ripe. The earliest ripe specimens were got on March 5th, 10 
to 45 miles off Fraserburgh. The greater number of ripe fish were got in 
April and May. They were caught from 10 to 160 miles off the East 
Coast. The pelagic egg of the ling was obtained 25 miles off Montrose, on 
February 6th. 
Gurnard (Trigla gumardus). — The number examined was 703. 
Territorial Waters. — In the Firth of Forth, of 50 specimens in May 
1889, four females were ripe and 19 nearly ripe ; one male was nearly 
ripe. In June, of 39 specimens, twelve females were ripe, seven nearly 
ripe, and ten three parts mature ; two males were three parts ripe. In 
July, of 39, two females were ripe and two spent ; five females and six 
males were nearly ripe. In August, October and November none were 
ripe or nearly ripe. In March one female was ripe. In April 18th to 
25th, of 39 specimens, ten females (12-14 inches) and one male (12 
inches) were ripe ; five males and eight females were nearly mature. In 
