5 
On tho same day, the bay which towards the end of last season 
was visited for the first time with such extraordinary results — 
Goswick Bay — was trawled over from 7 to 10 a.m. One haul was 
obtained in this time, a complete record of which is given on 
page 1G, and the fish retained are detailed in Table 1. The 
contrast between these figures and those of last season is only too 
evident. If we were to use the figures as indicating the rate at 
which diminution in the numbers of fishes is proceeding on this 
coast, we should have to point to a very wretched state of affairs 
indeed. 
The subject will come up again in the report on the results of the 
experiments made with the surface net. But in the meantime, it may 
bo as well to point out that though it may be natural to say that the 
trawling at Skate Roads on the 21st, was the reason we did not get 
a good catch on the 23rd, such a course of reasoning would not 
explain the similarly poor catch at Goswick on the 23rd. It is 
more likely that the cause of the apparent decrease was the same in 
each case. A considerable mass of weed got into the net at 
Goswick, due to the prevailing N.E. wind, and though Skate Roads, 
from its sheltered position offered cleaner fishing, yet the result as 
regards numbers of fish was even worse than at Goswick. The weed 
had therefore nothing to do with it. It might be pointed out that 
there was a rise in the temperature, the wind was in the north-east, 
and had been so for two days before, and one or other, or both con- 
ditions may have contributed to making the fish draw further out 
just about the time we were in the district of these bays. The 
results illustrate how little we yet know as to the causes of such 
migrations, and also that our records are liable to a great deal of 
variation. 
Five hauls were made at Alnmouth Bay on oth July, from 10 
until 7, all but the first being double hauls. The fishing was very 
clean despite the fact that a N.E. wind had prevailed for two or 
three days before. The sea was calm, but there was a fairly heavy 
ground swell. As at Skate Roads and at Goswick, the fish on the 
whole were small — a large proportion of quite immature forms 
being obtained each time. There were no very large fish and 
the record is below' the average in quantity as well for Alnmouth 
Bay. 
Druridge Bay got the usual length of time on 19th July, but the 
fish as compared with the records of past years were much below 
the average for Druridge, both as regards quantity and quality, the 
