Part 111. — Nhitk Animal Report 
II. THE WORK OF T[IE 'GARLAND 
1. The Firth of Forth. 
Plate I. 
Last year the trawling stations in the Firth of Forth area were examined 
in the months of February, Marcli, April, May, July, August, October, 
November, and December, 79 hauls of the trawl being made, 63 within 
the waters ck«ed against beam-trawling and 16 at the stations outside. 
The tables giving the detailed results of these observations will be found 
at p. 40, and the analyses at p. 32. Considering all kinds of fish, and 
the whole area of the Forth, there was a considerable increase as comi)ared 
with the previous year. In 1889, which gave the lowest figures since 
the trawling experiments were begun, the general average was 138'4. 
.Last year it was 235*2. Taking the closed waters alone (Stations I.-VIL), 
the general average per 'shot' for round and flat fish was 228*9 last year, 
and 164*8 in the year before, showing therefore a substantial increase. 
In the open waters (Stations VIII. and IX.), where trawling is not pro- 
hibited, in 1889 the general average for round and flat lish combined was 
111*9, while last year it was 241*6. These figures refer to all kinds of fish. 
On examining the results more closely, it is found that the increase is 
due entiiely to an increase in the round-fish — cod, haddock, and, especially, 
whiting. In 1890 there was a slight decrease of flat-fish in the closed 
area, and a slight increase in the open area. In the cl )sed area the 
average per 'shot' was 100*9 last year as compared with 110*9 in 1889, 
In the oj)en area the average for flat-fish was 40*3 in 1889, and 53*7 in 
1890. As has been said, a very large increase of round-fish occurred in 
1890, both in the close 1 and open waters. In the former the average per 
'shot' was 121*9 in 1890, and only 49*8 in 1889. In the latter the 
averages were 184*7 in 1890 as compared with 68 6 in the previous year. 
The averages for the past five years are as follows : — 
Fiat-Fish. 
Round-Fish. 
r 1886, 
112*8 
131*8 
1 1887. 
203*1 
144*1 
Closed Area, 
\ 1888. 
i 1889. 
117*0 
92*1 
110*9 
49*8 
[ 1890, 
100*9 
121*9 
{ 1886, 
47*5 
36*7 
1 1887, 
89*8 
123*4 
Open Area, 
^ 1888, 
34*4 
114*7 
1 1889, 
40*3 
68*6 
[ 1890, 
53*7 
184-7 
In regard to the different kinds of fish, there was among flat-fish in the 
closed area a decrease in plaice, lemon soles, and flounders (but mostly in 
plaice), and an increase in common dabs and long rough dabs. In the 
open area the same thing occurred — a decrease in plaice, lemon soles, 
and flounders, and an increase in common dabs and long rough dabs. 
Among round-fishes there was a great increase, both in the closed and 
open areas, in cod, haddocks, and whiting, and a slight decrease in the 
closed waters in gurnards. The increase in the abundance of whitings is 
especially striking. The averages for 1889 were: — Closed area, 13*6; open 
area, 19*9 ; while in 1890 tlie averages were 56*9, and 121*6. A large 
proportion of the whitings were small, and there is little doubt that their 
great abundance was due to the presence of an immense shoal of immature 
