9 
RESULTS OF TEN YEARS’ EXPERIMENTS. 
As tins year completes the tenth year of the experimental 
trawling instituted by Aid. Dent, I propose giving a fuller analysis 
of the results than has hitherto been attempted. As has been 
apparent from the reports given from year to year all that was aimed 
at in the experiments was to present comparative tables showing the 
catches of the larger fishes or such fishes as might have been sold 
in the market. A Avhole day was given to each excursion and this 
had the advantage of lessening the effects of infiuences Avhich would 
tend to cause variation, such, for example, as might be produced by 
the condition of the tide. When I was introduced to the work in 
1896, I thought it well not to interfere with the general aim of the 
investigations, and I only took the opportunity of making such 
other observations and collateral experiments as could be carried 
out under the circumstances. 
As far then as the results refer to the catches of marketable 
fishes they have been made on parallel lines during the Avhole period 
of ten years. A small traAvl of 22 feet beam Avas used. The fish 
retained Avere sorted every time the net was brought on board, and 
they Avere counted at the end of the day’s fishing. The experiments 
Avere made in available places in-shore. The lines along Avhich the 
traAAding Avas done varied within small limits depending upon the 
state of the tide, but the time devoted to the experiment Avould tend 
to make the ground fished over pretty much the same on each 
occasion. The stations Avere (1) Blyth Bay (2-5 fathoms), (2) 
Cambois Bay (2-3 fathoms), (3) Druridge Bay (2-3 fathoms), (4) 
Alnmouth Bay (2-3 fathoms), and (5) Skate Roads (2J-4 fathoms). 
At mid-day the temperature of the surface Avater Avas taken and 
the condition of the sea and the direction of the Avind noted. We 
Avere anxious to make the hydrographical work more accurate and 
complete, but we have been hampered for Avant of funds, and for 
another reason Ave decided to Avait until the recommendations 
of the International Conferences in this respect had been published. 
As the experiments have been made during the summer from 
about the third Aveek of June to the early part of September they 
are not subject to much variation caused by season. But even 
during this short period it has been observed that the fishing as a 
rule had improved toAvards the end of the season. 
It Avill be convenient to present the Avhole returns in the 
folloAving manner (Table II) : — 
