12 
These facts agree with the experience of fishermen. In the 
past the best catches were got the further out they went, now- 
a-days, their catches are made closer in-shore. 
The dab, on the other hand presents an average this year of 90, 
as compared with 81 last year, and 77 of the previous year, so that 
this form is increasing in numbers. The size and appearance were 
often during the summer all that could be desired. I have been 
informed by one or two of our line fishermen that the dab was 
procured in larger numbers during the past season. Like plaice, 
however, the dabs are not so numerous, nor are they got so large 
in the earlier part of the season. Their migrations are much more 
limited, but the general life-history is very similar to that of the 
plaice. During the spawning season, 1 have seen some boxes of 
this species landed from trawlers. 
The experiments we have made on the Northumberland coast, 
and those made by the Scottish Fishery Board and the Devonshire 
Sea Fisheries Committee (Holt, Stead, &c.*) show that the 
dominant species of the in-shore waters all round the coast is the 
plaice. Before the immense development in the fishing industry 
took place, this species was able easily to hold its own in these in- 
shore waters, but there were present evidently large numbers of 
the sub-dominant dab, and the more isolated turbot, brill and sole. 
The gurnard among round fishes is still very numerous, and with 
it even in the summer a quantity of whitings, haddocks, and 
codlings used to be found. The change which has been taking place 
may be said to be then — a diminution in the numbers of all these 
forms, except the dab has occurred. This has affected, first, the (at 
least now-a-days) more characteristically isolated turbot and sole ; 
secondly, the very gregarious haddock and cod ; and now evidently 
also the dominant species, the plaice. The haddock still conies to the 
coast in the winter, but instead of the migration occurring during 
the last three months of the year, it appears to take place principally 
about the beginning of the year — at a time when such a migration 
may well be assumed to be opposed to our knowledge of the spawn- 
ing habits of these fishes. The dominant species is decreasing, and 
the sub-dominant species is increasing in numbers. It is possible 
that the latter may become dominant if the conditions should con- 
tinue to prove unfavourable for the plaice. We can view with a 
degree of equanimity from the point of view of the breakfast table 
* 1898, -Jour. Mar. lliol. Assn. New Series, vol. V., No. 3, page 21)6. 
