24 
Part III — Tenth Annual Report 
II THE WORK OF THE ' GARLAND.' 
1. The Firth of Forth. 
Plate I. 
Last year the trawling stations in the Firth of Forth area were, for the 
first time since the experiments began, examined once in each month, 
108 hanls of the trawl being made. Of these, 84 were made at the 
stations within the waters closed against beam-trawling and 24 at 
the two stations outside the closed waters. The tables containing the 
results of these observations will be found at page 41 ; and the analyses 
of the figures at p. 38. At the stations within the closed waters 
(Stations I.-VIL), the average number of fish, of all kinds, taken at each 
haul of the trawl, was 189*4 in 1891, compared with 228*9 in the 
previous year, and 164*8 in 1889. At the stations outside the closed 
area (Stations VIII. and, IX.) the mean average number of round and 
flat fish captured at each haul of the net was 93, compared with 241*6 
in 1890 and 111*9 in 1889. The decrease of the average catch at the 
stations within the closed waters last year was owing to a decrease 
in round fish, which fell in numbers from 121*9 in 1890 to 67*7 in 
1891. There was, on the other hand, a slight increase in the numbers 
of flat-fish taken, the average in 1890 being 100*9, compared with 115 
last year. At Stations VIII. and IX., situated in the open waters 
where trawling is unrestricted, there was a decrease in the average catch, 
both of flat-fish and round-fish. In 1890 the averages were : — flat-fish 
53*7, round-fish 184*7, compared with 50*8 and 93 last year. But the 
great falling off at these stations was in round-fish, as these figures show. 
. The figures representing the mean average catch of flat-fish and round- 
fish per 'shot' of the trawl at the seven stations within the closed area, 
and at the two stations in the open area, in each year, since these experi- 
ments were begun, are given in the following tables : — 
CLOSED AREA. 
Year. 
No. of Hauls. 
Average Catch per Haul. 
Flat fish. 
Bound Fish. 
All Fish. 
1886 
22 
112-8 
131-8 
1887 
28 
203-1 
144-1 
1888 
40 
117*0 
92-1 
211-4 
1889 
70 
110-9 
49-8 
164-8 
1890 
63 
100-9 
121-9 
228-9 
1891 
84 
115-0 
677 
189-4 
OPEN AREA. 
, Year. 
No. of Hauls. 
Average Catch per Haul. 
Flat Fish. 
Round Fish. 
All Fish. 
1886 
5 
47-5 
/ 36-7 
1887 
6 
89-8 
123-4 
1888 
10 
34-4 
1147 
151-2 
1889 
20 
40-3 
68-6 
111-9 
1890 
16 
53-7 
184-7 
241-6 
1891 
24 
50-8 
38-6 
93-0 
