13 
TABLE IX.— TOTAL FLAT FISHES. 
Year. 
Blvth 
Bay. 
Cambois Bay. 
Druridge Bay. A, “ th 
Skate Aver 
Roads. rotal ‘ age. 
1892 
1*21), 32, 106 
1‘24, 210, 188 
224 
963 138 
1898 
141, 79 
67, 131 
187, 147 233, 138 
1,123 1 140 
1 HU 4 
187 
54, 108 
235, 135 235, 135 
441, 148 1.628 181 
1895 
109, 177 
57, 111 
148, 193,215 148,193,215 
166, 92 1,824 152 
1896 
141, 181 
18!) 
272, 242, 267 272, 242, 267 
141,250 2,464 224 
181)7 
lOOna 
214, 190 
226, 243 226, 243 
208, 219 1,769 221 
181)8 
183a 
148c 
208,242,168 208,324 
169, 187 1,506 215 
1899 
396 
265, 189d 
92,167,367 106,404 
62*, 237 1,760 220 
aa. 3£ hours' 
а. 4 „ 
б. I „ 
c. 7 „ 
d. 5 
c. Goswick mid Skate Roads together, which gives one day’s fishing. 
Left out in making up totals and averages. 
increase occurred during the first five years of these excursions, and 
the numbers have remained fairly steady since. As has been before 
remarked there is not the increase which might have been expected. 
What we have learned about the spawning migrations of these fishes 
gives us the necessary explanation. But there is no doubt at all 
that the protection afforded to the large numbers of immature, and 
also to the mature fish which spend a part of their lives in- 
shore, more than warrants the Northumberland Sea Fisheries 
Committee in keeping the territorial waters closed to trawling. 
The destruction of immature fish which takes place even as it is in 
off-shore waters, would be greatly intensified, and the fish of the 
territorial waters practically exterminated if continuous trawling 
were again allowed within the limits. 
THE SIZE, FOOD, SEX AND DEGREE OF MATURITY 
OF THE FISHES. 
While considering the results so for as they relate to the larger 
fishes we obtained, it will be convenient to present in a summarized 
form the observations made on the fish dissected on board the 
“ Livingstone.” 
Plaice. — Thirty-three examples were measured ; a fair proportion 
measured 18 to 20 inches at Druridge Bay on the 23rd August, 
but a great majority were less than mature size. The mature 
size for females appears to be not less than 1G inches, but males 
appear to become ripe at from 14 to 15 inches. Among twenty- 
