11 
IJli/th Bay. ‘25th August. 
Second haul. 
Plain.-. Dub-. Flounders, Gurnards. 
Immature ... ... ... 22 ... *22 ... 15 ... 7 
Mature, half- total for two hauls 27 ... 17 ... 8 ... 11 
At Skate Roads this season the young fish were certainly not so 
numerous as last year ; these were, at both our visits, plaice and 
dabs. We got several small turbot and brill last year at Skate 
Roads, and one or two specimens elsewhere. We did not get one 
this year which could he called distinctly small. 
The conditions, then, indicated by our observations for Alnmouth 
Bay last year are borne out bv the more extended observations 
we have made this year. We find in both cases that plaice are not 
present in the plainly excessive numbers that the dabs and flounders 
are, in the small condition. Now it must he more plainly stated, 
for the sake of my scientific brethren, that the large size of the 
plaice did not contribute to this result ; for, be it remembered, if the 
large size might have tempted to the over-stepping of the border 
line between the saleable and the immature, the excessive numbers 
of plaice compared with the dabs, and their often general large size, 
would tend to counterbalance this. Not only so, but our general 
impression and many more cases of counting and general note- 
taking were leading us to the opinion stated above — that, as a rule, 
the plaice are not usually predominant in the young condition. 
The mature plaice present in these bays, then, cannot be looked 
N upon as the survivors of the younger inhabitants, as may more 
easily be supposed to be the case in regard to the others. This, 
and the large size ot the fish, are quite convincing proofs that plaice 
do not go further out as they get older and larger, but show that our 
in-shore waters receive a large quantity offish from the outside as 
well. Plaice that have spawned and re-spawned outside these 
in-shore waters are quite common in the bays, examples over 15, 
16 and 17 inches being constantly met with, and not very seldom 
over 20 inches as well. At Skate Roads, one measured 25 inches 
by 15 inches; at Pruridge Bay, 22 inches by 18 inches was recorded, 
and so on, and the fish were in capital condition. 
The following occurs in my diary for Dmridge Hay excursion on 1st Srpt mbcr 
The plaice wen- nil splendid, large fish, many measuring la inches, and over : lsq inches and 
!!'| inches were measured.” 
