of the Fishery Hoard for Scotland. 
219 
Haddocks. 
In all 132 were examined : 100 of these contained food that could be 
identified. 
Ecliinoderms, chiefly sand-stars, were found in 23 stomachs (23 per 
cent.). 
Annelids were fonnd in 43 stomachs (43 per cent.). 
Arthropods chiefly Grangon and Portunus were found in 45 stomachs 
(45 per cent.). 
Molluscs, Solen and Scrobicularia being the most numerous, were found 
in 19 stomachs (19 per cent.). 
Fish were found in 2, 
Whitings, 
In all 137 were examined of which 62 contained food that could be 
identified. The number is too small to warrant the drawing of any 
general conclusion, but it may be stated that no Ecliinoderms were found 
in any of the stomachs ; Molluscs (cephalopods) were found in only 2 ; 
Annelids in 13 ; Fish in 36. 
The general conclusion from all this is that, once the limit of error is 
rendered sufficiently small, it is found that nearly every species of fish 
has a constant dietary, which is usually very limited in character, and 
that everything eaten beyond this is not staple food but mere occasional 
picking. 
Year 1891. 
I. FIRTH OF FORTH. 
Plaice. 
{Pleuronectes platessa.) 
Of 327 stomachs examined, 78 were empty. 
Echinoderms were found in 29 stomachs (19 %). They consisted of 
(1) Ophioglypha, at Station VI., in five in March, in five in May, in two 
in June, and in two in October : (2) Amphiara, at Station IV., in four 
in September ; at Station VII., in one in May, and in four in October ; 
and at Station VIII., in one in October : (3) Amphidotus, at Station 
VIII., in one in April : (4) Echinocijanius, at Station VI., in one in 
March : (5) unidentified starfish, at Station VI., in one in August : (6) 
unidentified sand-stars, at Station IV., in one in October ; and at Station 
VII., in one in August. 
Annelids were found in 172 stomachs (69 %). They consisted of (1) 
Aphrodite, at Station II., in fourteen in March, and in one in June ; at 
Station VI., in one in March ; at Station VII., in one in May ; and at 
Station VIII., in one in May : (2) Priapulus, at Station VIL, in one in 
May, in one in June, and in one in August : (3) Nereis, at Station VI., 
in one in March : (4) Arenicola, at Station IV., in one in November. 
Unidentified planarians were found at Station I., in one in August ; and 
at Station V., in one in May. Unidentified annelids were found in 149 
stomachs, viz. — at Station I., in three in March, in four in April, in one 
in July, in two in August, in four in October, and in one in November ; 
at Station II., in three in A.pril, in three in June, and in three in 
