15 
This is a most gratifying conclusion to this period of experiment, 
and it has all the more value that the results are the outcome of a 
most simple determination where the chance of error is so small 
as to be altogether unimportant when spread over such a large series 
of experiments. The tables given represent simply the total catches 
of fishes which could if necessary have been sent to market, the 
smaller fishes being immediately returned to the sea. We can say 
with confidence that the in-shore waters or at any rate the parts of 
them inhabited by the flat fishes in about 2-5 fathoms have improved 
during the last ten years. From the statements made by Mr. Dent 
and others who have had excellent opportunities for judging of the 
changes as well as those made by the fishermen themselves we might 
be justified in saying that the bays are recovering slowly from the 
effects of the immense amount of in-shore trawling to which they 
were exposed just prior to the beginning of our experiments. 
These changes have necessarily produced changes in the relative 
proportions of the fishes, and an attempt has been made to express 
them in the following table : — 
TABLE IV. 
Proportional Catches of Flat Fishes, 
the total number of flat fishes caught being taken as 1,000. 
Period. 
! 
O 
rQ 
3 
H 
Brill. I 
'o 
Plaice. 
Dab. 
Flounder. 
Total. 
1892-1901 
17 
1 
119 
535 
322 
6 
1000 
Blyth Bay 
1892-1896 
22 
1 
156 
487 
330 
4 
? 
1897-1901 
7 
1 
43 
631 
306 
12 
» 
1892-1901 
19 
1 
96 
488 
390 
6 
? » 
Gambols Bay 
1892-1896 
23 
0 
122 
524 
328 
3 
> 
1897-1901 
17 
2 
73 
456 
444 
8 
1 
Druridge Bay 
1892-1901 
38 
2 
69 
517 
369 
5 
) > 
1892-1896 
41 
0 5 
90 
568 
298 
3 
f y 
1897-1901 
35 
3 
53 
479 
424 
6 
? > 
1893-1901 
27 
1 
38 
558 
349 
27 
j » 
Alnmouth Bay 
1893-1896 
46 
0-5 
55 
560 
322 
17 
) ) 
1897-1901 
16 
1 
28 
558 
365 
32 
j y 
1894-1901 
98 
7 
9 
715 
109 
62 
y y 
Skate Eoads 
189^-1896 
81 
1 
7 
740 
91 
73 ' 
} j 
1897-1901 
115 
12 
10 
694 
118 
51 
y y 
