See antrtsas : ~ sf Went i Ties EN . a SS = oS Se o *, aA oO SN rt Se * YS aot i bey here} oS TWENTY-THIRD AN EAL REPORT OF THE FISHERY BOARD FOR SCOTLAND, Being for the Year 1904. IN THREE PARTS. Part I.—GENERAL REPORT. . Part IIL—REPORT ON SALMON FISHERIES. Parr III,—SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. PART III.—SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. Presented to both houses of Parliament by Command of His Majesty. GLASGOW: PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE By JAMES HEDDERWICK & SONS LIMITED, Av ‘*THe Crrizen Press,” St. VINCENT PLACE. OLIVER & BOYD, EprnsurcGH ; or WYMAN & SONS, Lr., Ferrer Lane, E.C., and 32 Apinepon STREET, WESTMINSTER, S.W. ; or E. PONSONBY, 116 Grarron Street, DUBLIN. 1905. [Cd. 2596.] Price 3s. 1d. ‘tg THEY . oo mor ey oe vi Orna | oy Pt - rane 4 ron r Rib i Ohta Fi LORE [ # 4x: nag oi + shal! Wet lint A a lett Ri ROMA WOE TIA a+ a HITRYY ry 1% 1 ATT i; — {TF i , CONTENTS. GENERAL STATEMENT, EE: Trawling Investigations, : The Hatching and Rearing of Food- Fishes, The Growth and Age of Fishes, The Life-History of the Lobster, The Parasites of Fishes, . The Marine Crustacea, The Tay Sprat Fishery, The Young of the Conger, : The Spawning of the Cod in Autumn in the North Sea, Investigations on the Herring in the Firth of Clyde, General Index to the Scientific Reports, SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. . Trawling Investigations. By Dr. T. Wemyes Fulton, F.R.S.E., Scientific Superintendent, ; ; A Contribution to the Life-History of the Lobster (Homarus vulgaris). By H. Chas. Williamson, M.A., D.Sc., Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen (Plates I.-IV. i): : Experiments in Lobster-Culture, The Rearing of Lobsters, The Larval Stages, , History of the Adult Lobster after “the Eggs had Hatched, Proportion of Berried Hens in the Catch of Lubsters, . The Casting of the Lobster, é The Rate of Growth, : as The Behaviour of the Lobster, é :* Examination of the Ovary, : : Spawning, Hatching, Literature, Description of Plates, III. Observations on some Parasites of Fishes New or Rare in Scottish Waters. By Thomas Scott, LL.D., F.LS., ete. (Plates V. and VI.), ; Preliminary Note, Part I. Copepoda Parasita, Part II. Trematoda, TV. Report on the Operations at the Marine Hatchery, Bay of Nigg, Aberdeen, in 1904. By Dr. T. meus Fulton, F.R.S.E., Scientific Superintendent, . V. Zones of Growth in the Skeletal Structures of Gadidze and Pleuronectide. By J. T. ey MeAG. HEZS: (Plates VII.-IX.), : : : 1. Previous Investigations, : 2. General Description of Lines of Growth, Literature, : Description of Plates, 13 65 65 68 73 84 88 89 95 95 98 100 103 104 106 108 108 108 115 120 125 125 128 139 139 a Contents. \y I. On some New and Rare Crustacea from the Scottish Seas. By Thomas Scott, LL.D., F.L.S., ete. ea X.-XIIT. I), Preliminary Note, Sub-order Calanoida— Fam. Pseudocyclopiide, Sub-order Cyclopoida— Fam. Cyclopidee, Sub-order Harpacticoida— Fam. Longipediide, Fam. Stenheliide, . Fam. Laophontide, Fam. Cletodeidze, Fam. Harpacticide, Fam. Asterocheridie, Fam. Nicothoidee, Fam. Choniostomatidse, Isopoda Valvifera— Fam. Arcturide, Description of the Plates, VII. A Note on the Hatching of the Crab (Cancer Pagurus). By vee TX. H. Chas. bicaacecs M.A., D.Sec., Marine Tan STNG Aberdeen, On the Tay Sprat Fishery, 1904-1905. By John Fletcher, University College, Dundee, ; : - General Index to the Scientific Reports of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 1883-1904, with a List of the Papers contained in them. Prepared by Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton, F.R.5.E., Superintendent of Scientific Investigations, 5 : X. Ichthyological Notes. By Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton, F.R.S.E., Scientific Superintendent, . The Young of the Conger (Leptocephalu 8), The Anchovy (Engraulis OORT IS? ~The Catfish (Annarhichas lupus), An Albino Plaice, The es of the Cod in Autumn in the North Sea, TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. TO THE MOST HONOURABLE THE MARQUESS OF LINLITHGOW, K.T., G.C.MLG., His Majesty's Secretary for Scotland. Orrick oF THE FisHEeRy Boarn FOR SCOTLAND, EpinsurGH, 30th June 1905. My Lorp MARQUESS, In continuation of our Twenty-third Annual Report, we have the honour to submit— PART IL—SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. GENERAL STATEMENT. This part of the Twenty-third Annual Report deals with the scientific investigations conducted by the Board in 1904 in con- nection with the sea fisheries of Scotland, so far as these have been completed, by means of the Parliamentary Vote vranted for the purpose. The scientific work has been carried out and the scientific report prepared under the supervision of Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton, the Scientific Superintendent. The researches have been made for the most part at the Board’s Marine Laboratory at the Bay of Nigg, Aberdeen, which was erected and equipped some years ago. The sea-fish hatchery is also situated at the same place, and a statement as to its opera- tions during the year will be found below. The provision of a suitable boat in connection with the Laboratory would be of much advantage in carrying on the investigations. The investigations into the condition of the fishing grounds, more particularly in the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay, which were begun five years ago by means of steam-trawlers, were continued last year as frequently as circumstances allowed. One of the chief objects of these trawling investigations is to ascertain as far as possible the changes which may ozcur in the abundance of the 6 Part ITT.—Twenty-third Annual Report food and other fishes on the grounds visited in different years and at different seasons, but observations are also made on the repro- duction of the fishes, their spawning, food, and on various other questions connected with their life-history and habits, and at the same time collections of the plankton, or floating organisms, are obtained, and experiments made with large-meshed and small- meshed nets. Although the employment of ccmmercial vessels in these investigations is associated with certain inseparable disadvantages, it is possible with the large ship, the efficient trawl, and the experienced trawlers on board, to make a much more thorough examination of the bays than was formerly the case. From the fact, moreover, that the trawling operations are carried on under the same conditions as in commercial fishing, opportunities are afforded for certain observations of importance, as the proportion of the marketable and unmarketable fishes which are caught, the relation between the sizes of the fishes captured and the dimensions of the meshes of the net, and the amount of destruction of immature fish that occurs on different grounds and at different seasons. For some years past, as mentioned in previous reports, by an arrangement with the Technical Education Committee of the County Council of Aberdeenshire, representative fishermen from various parts of the coast of that county have visited the Labora- tory and Hatchery in spring to receive demonstrations on various aspects of the life-history and habits of fishes, such as may be of interest and use to them in the course of their calling. The fishermen have been much interested in the instruction they received, and as it appeared to the Board advantageous to encourage the desire for such knowledge on their part they issued a circular to the other sea-board County Councils inviting them also to send fishermen if they thought proper so to do, to attend a similar series of demonstrations. This invitation was accepted by the County Council of Argyleshire, a number of fishermen from that shire subsequently visiting the Laboratory and Hatchery, and it is under consideration by some of the others. TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS. In the course of the year the results of 91 hauls of the large otter-trawl in the closed waters were recorded, of which 75 were taken in the Moray Firth, 14 in Aberdeen Bay, and two in Sand- side Bay, on the north coast. The examination of the grounds was made in January, March, April, September, October, November, and December, the localities in the Moray Firth which were most thoroughly investigated being Burghead Bay and adjacent parts of the south coast, the Dornoch Firth, and the grounds off the coast of Caithness. Some hauls were also taken at Smith Bank and in the deeper portions of the Firth at the so-called “witch-grounds.” The aggregate number of fishes of all kinds caught in the recorded hauls was 63,525, and of these 44,538, or 70 per cent., were marketable, the other 18,987, or 30 per cent., being thrown of the Fishery Board for Scotland. Ji overboard as unmarketable, either because they belonged to species that are unsaleable, or, more commonly, because though edible they were too small to be taken to market. The number of fishes captured in the various hauls and the pro- portion of the marketable and unmarketable are given in the tables appended to Dr. Fulton’s report on the subject. The greater number of the marketable fishes consisted of plaice and haddocks, the former constituting 58 per cent. and the latter 25 per cent. of the total in this class ; the proportion of none of the others reached three per cent. Among the unmarketable fishes, common dabs formed 32 per cent. and haddocks 30 per cent. The total number of turbot obtained was 54, and there were 394 brill, nine halibut, and five goles, and all these were marketable. 40 catfish and 22 hake were caught, all of which were marketable. The investigations in the Dornoch Firth at the end of March were of interest from the discovery of a shoal of spawning cod on the edge of the rough and rocky ground. Several scores of cod were taken in each haul of the net, the largest number in a four hours’ drag being 282. They were all spawning, eggs and milt flowing freely from them, and they were all of large size, the smallest females measuring from 33 to 35 inches and the smallest males from 29 to 80 inches. It was judged that the vessel was operating only on the fringe of the spawning shoal and that the greater bulk of the cod were on the rocky ground. Besides the cod, large numbers of spawning flounders were caught on this ground, where few of this species are obtained except in spring, and also spawning coalfish and plaice, in smaller numbers, and common dabs ; very few haddocks were obtained and none of them were spawning. It is probable that this area, lying about three miles from the shore in from 13 to 16 fathoms, is one of the important breeding- grounds for the food fishes in the Moray Firth. The experiments made with a small-meshed net fastened around and outside the cod-end of the trawl confirmed the conclusions come to previously, that, contrary to the general opinion of fisher- men, a very large proportion of the small fish, especially round fish, which enter the trawl as it is dragged along the bottom escape alive through the meshes, which appear to be distended by the resistance of the water. THE HATCHING AND REARING OF FOOD-FISHES. During last year the hatching of plaice was continued at the Marine Hatchery, Aberdeen, the number of eggs of that species collecte1 from the spawning pond amounting in the season to an aggregate of about 39,600,000. The number of plaice-fry that hatched out and were retained in the hatching apparatus until approaching the post-larval stage was approximately 34,780,000, or 88 per cent., and they were liberated off Aberdeen Bay at various times in March, April, and May. The number was considerably below the total in 1903, when it was estimated that 65,940,000 eggs were collected, the fry obtained numbering 53,600,000. The 8 Part IID.—Twenty-third Annual Report principal reason of the decrease was the difficulty in obtaining large adult plaice in the preceding autumn and winter to replenish the breeding stock in the pond, plaice of the class required being then exceedingly and unusually scarce on the grounds from which they are obtained. The floating eggs were observed in the water of the spawning- pond about the middle of January, but they were then present in very small numbers, and the first collection was made on the 26th of that month, or three days later than in 1903. The last collec- tion was on the 29th April, or more than a fortnight earlier than in the previous year. This is, no doubt, partly to be attributed to the smaller number of the spawners in the pond, as above mentioned, but it appears to have been also owing to the relatively greater intensity of spawning in the earlier part of the season in 1904, nearly 28 per cent. of the eggs being collected before the end of February, as compared with 18 per cent. in the same period in 1903. As usual, the greater number of the eggs were obtained in March, viz, 55'7 per cent., the percentage in that month in the preceding year being 56°2. The duration of the period of development until hatching takes place varies with the temperature of the water at the time. At the beginning of the season, in January, when the temperatare is low, the average time of incubation is about three weeks, while at the end of the season, when the temperature is several degrees higher, they hatch in about a fortnight. The larval fishes, after issuing from the eggs, are retained in the apparatus for several days until the yolk-sac is partly absorbed, and it is calculated that, taking the two periods together—the time of incubation and the period referred to subsequent to hatching—the eggs and larve are protected in the apparatus for about half of the time from the spawning of the egg until the young plaice is transformed and assumes the form and habit of the adult. Since the establishment of the hatchery, the total number of plaice eggs dealt with amounts to 443,092,000, the fry lberated numbering 363,250,000. The number of fry of other fishes produced is as follows :—lemon soles, 5,727,000; turbot, 5,160,000: cod, 4,010,000; and other kinds, 2,000,000. Owing to the circumstance that the hatchery is worked in conjunction with the Marine Laboratory, the expense of the hatching operations at the Bay of Nigg is not large compared with the number of fry produced, the annual expenditure in connection with it being estimated at about £100. As previously stated, the establishment was visited during the hatching season by represen- tative fishermen from the shires of Aberdeen and Argyle, to whom the various processes adopted, as well as the fertilisation of the eggs and the development of the fish, were explained. THE GROWTH AND AGE OF FISHES. During the last few years a considerable amount of attention has been given to the study of the age of fishes and the rate at which they grow, and a number of papers dealing with the growth and age of the plaice, cod, haddock, whiting, and other forms have appeared in the recent reports of the Board. It is a subject that of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 9 has an important bearing on several problems connected with sea fisheries. One method by which the growth and age of fishes is determined is by the tabulation of the measurements of large numbers taken at the same time and place. From the fact that the spawning season of a species, and, therefore, the rate at which a new genera- tion makes its appearance, is usually limited to a few months of the year, the range of the sizes and the average size of the different generations or annual series differ from one another. By the tabulation of large numbers of measurements it is thus possible to distinguish different generations and to assign the range of size and the age of the fishes belonging to them. With the earlier generations this method is in most cases quite satisfactory, but owing to the very different rate at which members of the same generation grow, the larger of an earlier generation overtaking and exceeding in size the smaller members of the next older generation —a process which increases with age—it becomes difficult or im- possible to separate the older generations from one another by this method. Another method that has of late been largely adopted consists in determining the number of the zones or lines of growth in certain of the hard parts of the body. Fishes do not grow continuously throughout the year, their growth exhibiting a usually well- marked periodicity in relation to the changes of the temperature of the water, being as a rule, and in most places, rapid in summer and slow in winter. This periodicity is indicated by lines or zones on some of the skeletal structures, notably on the ear-bones, or otoliths, the scales, and certain bones of the skeleton, the structure which shows them best varying somewhat in different species. By counting the lines or zones it is thus possible to tell the age of a fish, just as by a similar method, and for a like reason, the age of a tree may be discovered by the number of rings present in a section of the trunk. To the present report Mr. J. T. Cunningham contributes a paper on this subject, dealing specially with the plaice and the cod. He describes the structure and formation of the ear-bones and scales, and the mode in which the lines or zones are produced. One of the chief objects of the observations was to test the question how far the lines of growth in the skeletal structures of fishes were trust- worthy indications of age—whether the annual increments of growth or deposit could be definitely distinguished and counted in all cases. He shows that it is often necessary to test the indica- tions of one structure by an examination of the others, though in many instances the age of the fish may be well determined by the examination of one of them alone. The result in regard to the two species mentioned is to show generally that they do not grow so fast or reach maturity so soon as is commonly supposed. It was found that cod at two years of age measure from ten to thirteen or fourteen inches in length, at three years from seventeen to nineteen, and at four years about twenty-seven inches, so that they would spawn as a rule in their fifth year. Plaice from two-and-a-half to about four inches were one year old, from about four to six-and-a-half inches they were two years old, while those at three years measured up to 12 inches, 10 Part [11.—Twenty-third Annual Report At 13 and 14 inches they were mostly four years of age, while some in which the lines of growth indicated five years measured 114, 143, and 18? inches, and one measuring 20 inches was shown to be four years old. The paper is illustrated by three plates showing the otoliths, scales, and bones. THE Lire-HIstory oF THE LOBSTER. In the present report will be found a paper, illustrated by four plates, in which Dr. H. C. Williamson gives the results of his observations on the life-history of the lobster. An account is furnished of the experiments on lobster-culture which were made at the hatchery, the “berried” or egg-bearing females being kept in a suitable tank, the larvee as they hatched being carried away in the overflow to receptacles where they were retained. Hatching was found to take place during the night, and the first young lobsters were observed on 11th July. The larval and early young stages which were reared at the Laboratory are described and figured in detail. Certain dimorphic forms of the zoéa were discovered among the larve, and they attracted attention, since, so far as known, such forms have not hitherto been recorded and described. Attention was directed to the behaviour of the lobsters during the time they were kept in confinement at the Laboratory, that is to say, three years in certain cases. Among them only one was known to have spawned its eggs. Casting occurred frequently, more frequently apparently than normally occurs with lobsters in the sea, and the increase in size immediately after moulting was found to be very small; reproduction, moreover, seemed to be inhibited. Various observations made on the condition of the ovary, the periods of spawning and hatching, the number of eggs carried by the female, the growth of the lobster, and on other points connected with its life-history and habits, are incorporated in the paper. Dr. Williamson also furnishes a further note on the life-history of the edible crab, treating specially of the hatching of the young. THE PARASITES OF FISHES. Dr. Thomas Scott, who is still prosecuting his researches on the parasites of fishes, contributes a paper on these organisms to the present report, in which several species not previously recorded from the Scottish seas are described, the descriptions being illustrated by a number of figures. This paper contains descriptions of seventeen species, twelve of which belong to the Crustacea and five to the Trematoda. One of the crustacean species described is found living in the nasal fossze of several kinds of fishes, as the cod, haddock, whiting, &e. Another was obtained in the mouth of a three-bearded rock- ling, and others on a sturgeon, a porbeagle shark, and other fishes. The Trematoda, which are leach-like in form, were obtained on the gills of the grey gurnard, the ballan wrasse, and the bass (Labrax lupus). of the Fishery Board for Scotland. tt THE MARINE CRUSTACEA. A paper, illustrated by four plates, is also contributed to the present report by Dr. Thomas Scott on a number of marine crustacea, obtained in collections made during various fishery investigations, especially the trawling investigations in the Moray Firth. All the forms described are small; they are for the most part free-swimming in their habits and belong to the Copepoda, a group that constitutes a large proportion of the food of the edible fishes in their young stages. Of these free-swimming crustaceans four are new to science and are now described for the first time. A few species that live as parasites on other crustaceans are also recorded. They belong to the somewhat abnormal Choniostomatide ; two of these are also new to science and are now described for the first time in this report. THE TAY SPRAT FISHERY. A paper is included in the present report in which Mr. John Fletcher gives an account of the bag-net fishing for sprats on the Tay in the season 1904-1905. The methods and course of the fishing and the situation of the ground where the sprats are taken are described, but the chief part of the paper deals with the composition of the catches. In forty-six samples examined at various periods from October to February inclusive, comprising 43,871 fishes, the number of young herrings was found to be 26,037, the sprats numbering 16,992 ; there were also 581 specimens of other food fishes, mostly whiting and cod, as well as 261 specimens of unmarketable and inedible forms. The herrings measured from 12 inches to 7 inches in length. The quantity examined represented about one-thousandth part of the entire season’s catch. On the basis mentioned tables are given showing the estimated composition of the catches throughout the season, from which it appears that in the 1348 crans taken the number of young herrings was approximately nearly 23} millions, while the sprats numbered a little over 21 millions. The percentage proportion of herrings increased gradually and steadily from the commencement of the season in October, when it was 20°4, to January, when it was 78:2. THE YOUNG OF THE CONGER. In last year’s report two specimens of the young of the conger (Leptocephalus) at different stages were described, the earlier being known as Leptocephalus Morrisii and the older as L. punctatus, and both were taken in the Moray Firth. Last May another specimen of L. punctatus was captured in Aberdeen Bay in from four to five fathoms of water and brought alive to the Laboratory, as well as the head part of a third specimen. They are described by Dr. Fulton in the present report. Leptocephali are exceedingly rare, and the capture of four in so short a time is of interest. THE SPAWNING OF THE Cop IN AUTUMN IN THE NORTH SEA. Dr. Fulton also describes further observations in connection with the discovery that shoals of cod spawn in August, September, and 12 Part [II.—Twenty-third Annual Report October on certain grounds lying off the coast of Norway, and about 190 miles N. by E. of Aberdeen. The previous description appeared in the bulletin (Publications de Circonstance) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The fact that the cod, whose great spawning-time, as is well known, is in spring, should also spawn in autumn is of interest. It has been shown, moreover, that the temperature of the water at the grounds referred to when spawning occurs is the lowest for the year. INVESTIGATION ON THE HERRING IN THE FIRTH OF CLYDE. In connection with the winter herring fishing at Ballantrae Bank, off the coast of Ayr, arrangements were made for an investigation of the conditions of the fishing in relation to the operation of the Bye-law, No. 18, by which the use of the seine for the capture of herrings within a defined area there is prohibited. No fishing however took place last year. Only one trial was made by a single boat, and the catch was only about seven hundred small herrings. The “appearances” of herrings were not favourable, and the market prices, as given in the newspapers, were so low that the men did not think it worth while to start the fishing and give up the cod-net and line fishing. That there were herrings on the Bank was shown by their presence in the stomachs of cod and saithe, as reported by the Fishery Officer, and by the coating of herring spawn on the cod nets. An investigation is also being made on the herrings in other parts of the Firth of Clyde, more especially in Lochfyne, where monthly observations are made on the temperatures, the abundance of herring-food, &c., and marking experiments have been instituted to determine, if possible, the migratory movements of the herrings. GENERAL INDEX TO THE SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. A paper, prepared by Dr. Fulton, is given in the present report, embodying a general index to the scientific reports of the Board since the commencement of scientific investigations in 1882. The reports are twenty-two in number, and as they embrace a great variety of subjects connected with the sea fisheries in their scientific aspects, it is hoped the index may be useful to those engaged or interested in fishery investigations. We have the honour to be, Your Lordship’s most obedient Servants, ANGUS SUTHERLAND, Chairman. D. CRAWFORD, Deputy-Chairman. D’ARCY W. THOMPSON. W. R. DUGUID. L. MILLOY. D. MEARNS. H. WATSON. WM. C. ROBERTSON, Secretary. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. I.—TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS. By Dr. T. Wemyss Futrton, F.R.S.E., Superintendent of Scientific Investigations. INTRODUCTORY. The investigations into the condition of the fishing grounds in certain parts of the closed waters, particularly in the Moray Firth and Aberdeen Bay, which were begun a few years ago by the employment of commercial steam trawlers, were continued last year as frequently as circumstances allowed. Trawlings were made in January, March, April, September, October, November, and December, the total number of recorded hauls in the closed waters amounting to 91, of which 14 were made in Aber- deen Bay, 75 in the Moray Firth, and 2 in Sandside Bay, on the north coast of Scotland. The localities in the Moray Firth which were most thoroughly examined were Burghead Bay and adjoining parts of the south coast, the Dornoch Firth, and the grounds off the coast of Caith- ness. A few hauls were also taken on Smith Bank, and in the deeper parts of the Firth, at the so-called ‘ witch-grounds,” The aggregate number of fishes taken in the course of these trawlings, so far as they were completely recorded, was 63,525, and of these 44,538 were taken to market, the remaining 18,987 being thrown overboard, either because they belonged to species which are not edible, or, more commonly, because they were too small to be marketable. The propor- tions of the marketable and unmarketable in each of the recorded hauls are given in the Tables appended. Records were also made of a number of hauls of a steam trawler which fished at the Farées in the month of May, and these are likewise included in the Tables. One of the chief objects of these trawling investigations is to ascertain as far as possible the changes which may occur in the abundance of the food and other fishes in the closed waters in different years and at different seasons, but observations are also made on the reproduc- tion of the fish, their spawning, food, &c., and on various other matters connected with their life-history, while at the same time records are made of the surface and bottom temperatures of the water on the various grounds visited. The employment of commercial vessels for this purpose is associated with certain disadvantages; but from the fact that the actual trawling work is carried on precisely as it is when fishing for market purposes, opportunities are afforded for a number of observations bearing on this method of fishing, as, for example, the proportion of the marketable and unmarketable fishes which are captured, the relation between the size of the fishes taken and the size of the meshes of the net, the vitality of the fishes, &c. Collections are also made of the floating organisms, or plankton, and of fish eggs and larve, and experiments con- - ducted with small-meshed nets with the view of procuring collections of fishes of various sizes in connection with the study of their rate of growth, distribution, &e, B 14, Part III. —Twenty-third Annual Report With the large commercial trawl, the efficient ship, and the experienced trawlers in charge, it is possible to make a much more thorough and extensive examination of the grounds than was previously possible. The work has been sometimes carried on under difficulty, inasmuch as since the reduction of the Vote for Scientific Investigations, when the International researches were initiated, no assistance was available, and it was impossible for me alone to conduct these experiments with the regu- larity that was desirable. In autumn of last year, Dr. H. C. William- son was re-appointed to the scientific staff of the Board, and I have to thank that gentleman for his assistance in these investigations. if The first of the series of investigations in Aberdeen Bay and the Moray Firth was made in January, from the 14th to the 23rd, the steam trawler ‘“‘Ern” being employed, one of the objects being to obtain a supply of large living plaice for the hatchery at the Bay of Nigg. Besides Aberdeen Bay, the places visited were the grounds off the Ord of Caithness and Lybster, Dunnet Bay, and Sandside Bay, these two being situated on the north coast. Three hauls were made in Aberdeen Bay on the 14th, a strong wind blowing from the south-west with rain. The first was in from 5 to 20 fathoms, off Newburgh, for four hours and five minutes, and the catch was small, comprising 387 fishes, of which 360 were marketable and 27 unmarketable. Haddocks and codling formed the bulk of the catch, there being few plaice, and they were all small. The other two hauls were also taken off Newburgh, in from 43 to 9 fathoms, and they were still less productive, the respective totals being 218 and 293 fishes, the hauls lasting for four hours and four hours and five minutes. Plaice were again very scarce, and haddocks were not numerous, but a considerable number of codling were taken. Among the fishes in the second haul were 14 herrings and 22 sprats. In the three hauls, lasting for twelve hours and ten minutes, 898 fishes were taken, of which: 783 were marketable and 115 unmarketable. The numbers of marketable and unmarketable of the various species were as follows :— Cod, Codling. Haddock. Whiting. Plaice. I 5 186 431 71 II 12 19 27 Com. Dab. R ier Dak Sprat. Herring. Starry Ray. I 28 I i 4 22 14 16 of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 15 While all the plaice were marketable, there were none of medium size, and none large; all were small. The majority of the haddocks, on the other hand, were large or medium, viz., 330 large, 109 mediums, and 54 small or thirds. In the Moray Firth the first haul was made on the 17th, off Lybster, in about 25 fathoms, a strong breeze blowing from the south-west. The number of fishes obtained in the four hours’ drag was 352, of which 206 were marketable and 146 unmarketable. The catch com- prised 20 cod, 146 haddocks, and 128 plaice; all the haddocks except 46 small were unmarketable, and most of the plaice were also small. The next haul was made in rather deeper water, 34 to 36 fathoms, a little farther off, and a rather better catch was got, viz. 522 fishes, of which 330 were marketable. Haddocks and plaice were again most numerous—315 and 162 respectively—and they were, as a rule, larger, especially the plaice, 112 being either large or medium. Other seven drags were taken off Lybster in from 23 to 35 fathoms, with as a rule, poor results, though the weather had improved and the sea was smooth. Omitting one of these, in which the net was split and only 108 fishes secured, the total number of fishes caught in the thirty-three hours and ten minutes fishing was 3478, of which 2005 were marketable and 1473 unmarketable. The largest total number taken in any one haul was 522; the largest number marketable in any haul was 330, and the lowest 118. Haddocks and plaice formed the bulk of the fish caught, the former numbered 1898, of which rather more than half were market- able ; the latter numbered 875, all of which were marketable. The total of the marketable haddocks and plaice according to size was as follows :— Ist Ind 3rd 4th Total Haddock 63 80 46 780 969 Plaice 118 387 342 28 875 The accompanying Table gives the particulars of the marketable and unmarketable fishes of the eight hauls :—- Cod. |Codling.| Haddock.| Whiting.| Coal-fish.|Cat-fish.| Brill. | Plaice. I 29 67 969 : 2 2 2 875 1 - 58 929 204 Total 29 125 1,898 204 2 2 2 875 Long B Da” | Witeh. | Come Hough j/ Herring, Starry | gkate. | Angler. Ray. if 39 2 - - - 3 12 3 Il, = - 254 7 1 - 11 9 Total 39 2 254 7 1 3 23 12 On the 18th, owing to the comparatively poor catches on the grounds off Lybster, the vessel left for the north coast to try Sandside Bay, but the wind in the Pentland Firth was so strong that it was forced to return, On the following night Sandside Bay was reached and three 16 Part IT. —Twenty-third Annual Report hauls were made there. The first was imperfect. being a ‘ foul” shot, owing to a turn in the net, and only 127 marketable fishes were secured, mostly plaice and haddocks ; the depth was from about 40 to 43 fathoms. In the next haul on the same ground, in 40 to 43 fathoms, lasting four hours and five minutes, 324 fishes were taken—169 being marketable and 155 unmarketable. Most consisted of haddocks and plaice ; there were also 14 gurnards and 31 dog-fishes. A third haul for four hours and ten minutes, in from 28 to 40 fathoms, was still less productive, the total being 250 fishes, 175 being marketable and 75 unmarketable. The numbers of haddocks and plaice of the various classes according to size, in the two hauls were these :— Ist Ind 3rd 4th Total Haddock 5 56 10 62 133 Plaice 20 46 46 — 112 The following Table gives the marketable and unmarketable fishes caught in the two hauls, the time of fishing being 8 hours and 15 minutes : Cod, Codling. Haddock. Whiting. Gurnard. I 2 4 1383 - II 9 112 32 30 Total 2 13 245 32 30 ee LR SL A Plaice Lemon Common Skate Dog-fish ; Dab. Dab. : oS I 112 58 35 - II 16 31 Total 112 58 35 16 31 Dunnet Bay was then tried, and a haul taken in 30 to 36 fathoms. After towing for an hour and three-quarters the net caught, and on being brought up it was found that the ground rope was broken, and a good deal of the net missing ; what was left contained five marketable fishes. The vessel accordingly returned to the Moray Firth and started fishing south of Lybster, on the grounds off the Ord of ‘Caithness. The wind was still from the south-west and very squally. The first haul, for 47 hours, was made in 23 and 24 fathoms, and 405 fishes were secured, of which 170 were marketable and 235 unmarketable. Among the former were 19 cod, 107 haddocks, and 78 plaice, as well as some lemon dabs and common dabs. The second haul for the same time on the same ground, in 23 to 25 fathoms, was slightly better, 446 fishes being taken— 169 marketable and 277 unmarketable. Haddocks, plaice, and dabs were the chief fish represented. Other six hauls were taken on this ground, the catches being under those described, and in one of the hauls the trawl net was practically destroyed, nothing coming up but the ground rope. In the seven hauls, the duration of which was 29 hours and 35 minutes, of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 17 the aggregate number of fishes caught was only 2086-895 being market- able and 1191 unmarketable—which was extremely poor fishing. The numbers of haddocks and plaice of the various sizes taken in the hauls were as follows :— Ist 2nd 3rd 4th Total Haddock 57 164 65 — 286 Plaice SE 186 192 18 487 The particulars as to the marketable and unmarketable in the seven drags are these :— Cod. | Codling. | Haddock. | Whiting. | Coal-fish. | Cat-fish. COUBSE: Common Dab. Lemon Dab. 16 Il. 11 33 Total 487 27 33 The vessel then steamed to the so-called “ witch-grounds,” off Kinnaird Head, and made two drags there on the 23rd. Owing to want of time the unmarketable fishes in these drags, which were very numerous, were not recorded. In the first, for four hours and fifteen minutes, in from 40 to 45 fathoms, 168 marketable fishes were obtained, chiefly haddocks and witches; the offal, or unmarketable fishes, filled seven baskets, the contents of one of which were counted, viz., 306 dabs, 183 long rough dabs, 94 haddocks, and 42 whitings. In the second drag, in from 40 to 50 fathoms, 163 marketable fishes were secured, comprising 4 cod, 7 codlings, 62 witches, and 90 haddocks ; the offal or unmarketable fishes filled three baskets, and were not enumerated. Small haddocks, too small to be marketable, were numerous in this locality ; the numbers of the various classes of marketable haddocks were, lst 35, 2nd 65, 3rd 68. Another haul for an hour and ten minutes was made here in about 50 fathoms with the small-meshed net laced around the cod-end, in order to catch the small fishes, as described in previous reports ; 2812 fishes were taken, belonging to 18 species, as follow :— Winds) 2? tan ae as alc Witch ene! pe a Haddock, - - - 249 | Lemon Dab. - - 3 Whiting, - : - 122 | Common Dab, ~ - - 986 Poorcod, - : - 7 | Long Rough Dab, - 1048 Norway Pout, - - 250] Herring, - - = 2 Three-Bearded Rockling, 2 | Sprat, : - - 3 Four-Bearded Rockling, 5 | Lwmpenus, - . - 65 Grey Gurnard, - - 2 | Spotted Dragonet = - 15 Plaice, - - : 4 | Hagfish, - - - 3 18 Part ITT.— Twenty-third Annual Report The quantity of fish landed at the end of the voyage, according to the market returns, amounted to 99 cwt., as follows :— Cod. Codling. Ling. Saithe. Hake. Haddock. Whiting. Turbot. Halibut. Brill. 23 4 1 2h 1 16} t 3 g Lemon Dab. Plaice. Witch. Megrim. Conger, Skate. Cat-fish. 3} 27 61 } } 3 4 II. The second series of trawlings was made at the end of March and the beginning of April, the steam trawler ‘Star of the Wave” being employed. The first place visited was Burghead Bay, where several hauls were taken, in from 4 to 16 fathoms, on 28th and 29th. In the first, which was carried into water of 30 fathoms depth, 1202 fishes were taken—780 being marketable and 422 unmarketable. The fishes most abundantly represented were common dabs, plaice, haddocks, and witches ; there were also 24 brill and 19 lemon dabs, all marketable, as well as 5 herrings. All the haddocks and most of the plaice were small. The next three hauls were made nearer the shore, in water of from about 4 to 16 fathoms. In the first of these 975 were secured— 574 being marketable and 401 unmarketable. Common dabs and plaice were best represented, numbering respectively 360 and 325— 90 of the dabs and 302 of the plaice being marketable. The catch also included 89 haddocks—all small, and 37 marketable—6 catfish, 20 lemon dabs, and 35 witches. The second haul brought up 698 fishes, mostly plaice and dabs, the marketable fishes including 23 brill, 2 turbot, 10 lemon dabs, and 9 witches, as well as 18 haddocks, 3 cod, and 2 catfishes. The third haul, for five hours and twenty-six minutes, yielded 2331 fishes, of which 1181 were marketable and 1150 unmarket- able. The catch included 1116 common dabs, 576 plaice, 208 haddocks, 30 lemon dabs, 13 brill, and 2 turbot; there were also in this haul 28 anglers, 8 herring, and a lumpsucker. The aggregate number of fishes in the three inshore drags referred to was 4004, 2168 being marketable and 1836 unmarketable. The numbers of haddocks and plaice of the various classes according to size were as follows :-— Ist Ind 3rd 4th Total Haddock 16 = 204 — 220 Plaice 96 276 416 335 Lis The details of the four hauls referred to are summed up in the accompanying Table :— ‘ . Had- «4: | Coal- - | Gur- | Tur- «1, |Floun- Cod. |Codling. dock, |Whiting-| 53, | fish. ard abet Brill. |" ger. [ Continued. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 19 " Long sis Lemon : Com. Thorn- . Lump- Plaice. Fish. Witch. Dab. sie back. Herring. |Angler. Sucker. I. 1,345 79 141 483 : 69 é 30 Il. 95 2 60 | 1,630 198 16 13 25 3 Total | 1,440 81 201 | 2,113 198 85 13 55 3 Some other hauls were made in this district, but in somewhat deeper water. In the first of these off Burghead, in 44 to 45 fathoms, and lasting four hours and twenty minutes, 1638 fishes were captured, 1280 being marketable and 358 unmarketable. The number of haddocks increased to 817, most of them being small; plaice diminished to twenty, mostly large and medium; there were also 269 witches, 106 lemon dabs, a megrim, a brill, and 8 cod. In the next haul, lasting three hours and thirty-five minutes, in the same depth, 4030 fishes were obtained, 2483 being marketable and 1547 unmarketable ; nineteen species were represented. Haddocks were most abundant, numbering 1927 ; there were 1358 dabs, 282 witches, 251 whiting, 27 lemon dabs, and 10 plaice. Ten Norway pouts, a herring, a bib, and 2 Lumpenus were also taken, as well as 5 marketable hake. The next haul was begun in the same place, the vessel towing towards Lossiemouth, where the net was hauled in 16 fathoms. The drag lasted for two hours and twenty-five minutes, and 1427 fishes were taken, comprising 837 had- docks, 139 whitings, 40 plaice, 51 lemon dabs, 6 witches, as well as 4 cod, 2 ling, and a Norway pout. In these three hauls in deeper water the total number of fishes caught was 7095, 4846 being marketable and 2249 unmarketable, the time of fishing being ten hours and twenty minutes. The sizes of the haddock and plaice taken were as follows :— lst 2nd 3rd Ath Total Haddock 335 154 alia = 3502 Plaice a 44 14 = 75 The particulars are given in the following Table :— Cod- Cod. ling. Hake.| Ling. | Had- | Whit-| Gur- | pin. |plaice, Le) witch eaten 8+) dock. ing. | nard, ; | ; i 1 a Na 23 SOON 5 80h ewks eA we Mah {ae age 2 Il. . 5 ; : 79), 12 8 - - | 8 | 128 Total | 19 15 22 2 |3,581| 542 25 5 75 =| 184 557 Lon Nor - | Com. & | Thorn-| Grey x Her- | p- Lum- Me Dab. over back. | Skate. Angler. Pour, ring, Bib. penus. I 2 47 10 Mil - 257 | 1,720 10 2 5 11 1 i 2 Total 2 304 | 1,720 10 2 15 11 1 1 ve 20 Part LI1.—T wenty-third Annual Report A haul for four hours was made in thirteen fathoms off Lossiemouth, the vessel trawling around a dan, but the catch was very poor, the number of marketable fishes secured being 191, and the unmarketable 79, a total of 270. There were 107 plaice, 36 haddocks, eight brill, a cod, a catfish, and a lumpsucker in the catch. The next place visited was the Dornoch Firth. On 30th March the trawl was dropped in sixteen fathoms, with Dunrobin Castle bearing N.W. and Tarbert Lighthouse about S.4E.; a sweep was made around the bay into four fathoms and out again, the haul lasting for four hours. The weather was fine and the sea smooth. In the hauls made here a special cod-end with large meshes was used, and the catches, especially of the unmarketable fishes, were therefore smaller than would have been the case otherwise ; the records cannot thus in this respect be compared with the foregoing. The catch consisted of 400 fishes, of which 354 were marketable. The plaice numbered 138, and there were 69 cod and 123 flounders. In the next haul, in the same locality, 210 fishes were taken, the catch com- prising 43 cod, 87 plaice, 38 flounders and 29 skates and rays. Other four drags were made here, and the aggregate catch for the six hauls, comprising twenty-four hours and five minutes fishing, was 1932 fish, 1837 being marketable. The details of the catches are given in the adjoining Table; what is stated above as to the mesh of the cod-end must be borne in mind. Cod. | Codling.| ©! [Haddock.| Cat-fish.| Brill. | Plaice. ee 5 _ | Common 4 Thorn : Grey Witch. | Flounder. Dab, Rough Gack Sprat. Sieate: Dab. I 15 235 57 5 92 5 II 32 17 3 11 2 23 Total 15 267 74 3 | 103 2 28 Large and medium-sized haddocks were present in the catches, the numbers taken being—large 86, medium 80, small 130, fourths, 152; many of the smaller haddocks would escape thrcugh the mesh of the cod-end used. The fishing in the Dornoch Firth on this occasion was of special interest, for several reasons. Cod were taken in quite unusual numbers, a shoal of spawning fish having been hit upon, and each haul of the net was characterised by the large number of cod present. On hauling the net, the cod-end, in which the fish were contained, could be seen floating at the surface some distance away from the vessel; this is always the case with large catches of the greater round fishes. The greatest number of cod caught in one haul of four hours was 282, but in each drag the net contained many scores. Owing to the weight of fish of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 21 the cod-end was not brought in to the deck at first in the ordinary way, but a hole was cut in it as it lay alongside the vessel and the cod removed by a ‘‘clip” and passed along to the fish-hold; then the net was brought aboard. As mentioned, the cod were all spawning, eggs and milt flowing freely from them, and I was struck with their large size. There were no small cod among them. It was not possible to measure them all, but the smallest and the larger were put aside and measured. The smaller female fishes ranged from 33 to 35 inches; two males measured 297 and 30 inches; among a few “codling” taken I found one measuring 274 inches, quite immature. Several smaller-sized cod were brought up in a state of decay, and had been lying on the ground dead for some time ; whether these had been caught previously by some other trawler, escaped from the net and perished, was unknown. The skipper (S. Caie) stated that at Farée they sometimes get as many as sixty score of cod (1200) in a single drag of three hours’ duration. Besides the cod, several of the other fishes taken at this place were ripe and spawning. Among the few coalfish caught I found a female, measuring 404 inches, half spent, with the eggs flowing freely, and several of the males were also mature. Most of the flounders, of which 267 were taken—235 of them marketable—were also spawning, and it is evident from a comparison of the records at other times of the year that shoals of flounders come out from the shallower waters—no doubt largely from the stretch of brackish water west of Gizzing Briggs—at this season in order to spawn. Spawning females were found from ten inches upwards, and spawning males from a size of eight inches. Some plaice were also found ripe and spawning, though the number of this fish taken was relatively small, and still more were spent. Among the common dabs the condition was not so far advanced, most of the larger ones having the reproductive organ large and ripe, and a few were just commencing to spawn. On this ground, therefore, spawning cod, coalfish, flounders, plaice, and common dabs were found on the 30th and 31st March. It lies about three miles from the nearest land, on the edge of, and partly over, the rough ground that under ordinary circumstances is avoided by trawlers, the depths being from thirteen to fifteen or sixteen fathoms. It is possible, I may say, to fish over the rough ground when cod or other round fishes are present in large numbers, the trawlers explaining that the cod-end, and perhaps most of the net, is buoyed up from the bottom by the fish. The locality lies well within the Dornoch Firth, and I think it will be found that there is some peculiarity about the currents here that tends to distribute the floating eggs, the movement of the water being north- wards, rather as an eddy.* From the small number of plaice got it is not certain that they spawn on these grounds in any great numbers, and the same remark may be made about the coalfish. Clearly, however, cod and flounders spawn there in great numbers. Before leaving the Dornoch Firth a haul was made for half an hour with the small-meshed net around the cod-end, the trawl going into four fathoms. The number of fishes taken was 1107, belonging to ten species, as follows :—- Codling, - - : 1 Plaice, - - 74 Haddock, : - 2 Flounder, - . 53 Whiting, - - 27 | Common Dab, - 46 Herring, - . 16 | Sprat, : - 870 Little Sole, - . 2! Common Pipefish, 16 * Vide Fulton, ‘‘The Currents of the North Sea and their Relation to Fisheries,” Fifteenth Annual Report, Part IIT., p. 343. 22 Part L11.—Twenty-third Annual Report The vessel then steamed to the south coast of the Moray Firth and took a haul with the small-meshed net around the cod-end, between Findhorn and Burghead, in 30 to 32 fathoms, the haul lasting for an hour. The total number of fishes obtained was 1753, belonging to eighteen species, as follows :— Codling, - - 10 Plaice, - - 1 Coalfish, = “ 1 Lemon Dab, t 14 Haddock, - - 1) Common Dab, _ - 68 Whiting, cial adel avugeby Seen | Norway Pout, - 3887]| Long Rough Dab, 516 Herring, - - 36 Megrim,~- - 1 Sprat, - - - 74 Flounder, - - 4 LTumpenus, - - 9365 Thornback, - - 1 Dragonet, - - 2 Angler, 7 z 13 Smith Bank was then visited, and a haul made there with the small- meshed net for twenty-five minutes (the net catching on the bottom after that interval and being hauled) in 22 fathoms. The number of fishes caught was 1545, belonging to thirteen species, as follows :— Codling, - 34 Plaice, - - 2 Haddock, - - 444 Lemon Dab, - 10 Whiting, - - §02 Common Dab, - 99 Ling, - - 1 | Long Rough Dab, 6 Poorcod, - - 436 Catfish, - - 3 Norway Pout, - 6 | Herring. - - 1 Gurnard, : - re] = Before returning to Aberdeen a haul with the small-meshed net was taken in Aberdeen Bay, in the northern part, but the net came up much torn and no fishes were caught ; there was a heavy sea and a strong wind. According to the market statistics, the quantity of fish landed amounted to 2463 ewts., as follows :— Cod. Codling. Saithe. Haddock. Whiting. Turbot. Brill. Lemon Dab. Plaice. 178? 3 17 24 3 4 24 214 Dabs. Witch. Skate. Cat-fish. Monk. 24 54 9 34 1 ITT. The next series of trawlings was made at the end of September and the beginning of October, the steam trawler “ Star of the Ocean” being employed. The first place visited was the deep hole off Fraserburgh, where a haul was made in 75 fathoms, a dan being put down in 70 fathoms. In sounding, a depth of 130 fathoms was got in the locality, fine dirty sand being on the armature of the lead. The net became fast and it was hauled in two hours in 35 fathoms, The catch comprised 1177 fishes, of which 900 were marketable and 277 un- marketable. Haddocks were best represented, the number taken being 825, but most of them were small. There were also 44 cod and 170 codling, 44 whiting, 11 gurnards, 18 lemon dabs, 11 megrims, and 1 witch, with some other fishes. No plaice or common dabs were caught. Burghead Bay was then visited and a couple of drags made in from 5 to 12 fathoms. In the first, which lasted for four hours and ten of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 23 minutes, 597 fish were caught, 184 being marketable and 413 unmarket- able. The catch was made up mainly of small haddocks and plaice, together with common dabs. In the second haul, for four hours and ten minutes, 1339 fishes were secured, of which 556 were marketable and 783 unmarketable. The catch was again chiefly composed of small haddocks. In these two hauls, the time of fishing being eight hours and twenty minutes, 1936 fishes were taken, of which 740 were market- able and 1196 unmarketable. The haddocks numbered 1565, no less than 999 of them being too small to be marketable. The numbers of haddocks of the various classes were these :— Ist. 2nd 3rd 4th Unmarketable Total Haddock 2 48 49] a 999 1565 The plaice were also, asa rule, small, but the separate sizes were not noted. The details regarding the different species are as follows: — | * 1 Long 7 Cod- Had-| Whit-) Gur- at Lemon |Common Thorn- Ang- ling. | dock.| ing. | nard. Fipiee: Dab. Dab. hous back. | ler. tee oS SOG oom 135 5 127 . 3 | IL. » (999) 16 |. 87 8 - - 6 =arisinit 12 Total 4 |1,565} 43 37 143 5 127 6 3 2 A number of hauls were then taken between Burghead Bay and Lossiemouth, in water from 7 to 12 fathoms deep. In the first, which lasted for three hours and fifteen minutes, 498 fishes were caught, 287 being marketable and 211 unmarketable. The catch comprised 347 haddocks—nearly half of them too small to be taken to market—and 42 cod. In the second, for four hours and thirty-five minutes, 892 fishes were caught, 458 being marketable and 434 unmarketable. Haddocks again formed the bulk of the catch, numbering 587, of which less than half were marketable, and there were also 145 plaice and seven cod. Most of the other hauls made in this place were less productive, but in one the number was considerably exceeded. It was for four hours and five minutes, and 3157 fishes were captured, of which 972 were market- able and 2185 unmarketable. The catch comprised 1425 haddocks, 879 being too small to go to market ; 358 plaice, all but 6 marketable; 1082 common dabs, 201 gurnards: (none taken to market), 51 codling, 4 cod, 2 turbot, 8 brill, and 5 lythe or pollack. In the seven hauls between Burghead and Lossiemouth, the duration of fishing being twenty-eight and a half hours, the total number of fishes caught was 6637, or an average of 2328:9 per ten hours’ fishing ; the marketable fishes numbered 2880, or an average of 1010-4 per ten hours, the unmarketable numbering 3757, or an average per ten hours of 13183. Of 2871 haddocks caught rather more than half, viz. 1474, were unmarketable, while of 1203 plaice only 7 were too small to be taken to market. In one of the hauls 5 lythe were caught, in another 4 coalfish, too small to be marketable; and in another 4 fine black soles, a fish which is very rarely caught in these waters. Of the 1397 haddocks, 96 were large, 204 mediums, and 1097 small or thirds; a classification into thirds and fourths was not adopted on this occasion. 24 Part ITL.— Twenty-third Annual Report The accompanying Table gives the particulars of the catches of the seven hauls combined. Cod. |Codling.| Had: Vee Coal- | tythe,| C™ | Turbot. | Brill 1. 61 90 | 1,397 | 38 5 4 17 IL. 21 | 1,474 | 46 4 . | 589 Total |(° 6le\" tal Az ales Faigle ame! 4 17 Lemon Black : -, 1 | Common Thorn- Plaice. Dake Sole Witch. Tab. Angler. aul Wrasse. I 1,196 37 4 2 26 7 1 Ue 7 1,527 86 3 Total | 1,203 37 4 2 | 1,553 86 10 1 A haul was also made on the usual ground off Lossiemouth, in 17 fathoms, for one hour and forty-five minutes. The catch consisted of 605 fishes, 405 being marketable and 200 unmarketable, all the latter consisting of gurnards. There were 314 haddocks and 80 plaice ; about half of the haddocks were large and mediums, and half small, while all the plaice were large and mediums. In the hauls in Burghead Bay, and between it and Lossiemouth, several hundred squids and a few edible crabs were taken. The vessel then steamed to the Dornoch Firth, where a drag with the small-meshed net around the cod-end was made for an hour and five minutes in from 10 to 12 fathoms. The catch of both nets num- bered 1035 fishes, of which 697 were marketable, mostly of small haddocks (‘‘thirds”). The numbers of the various species were as follows :— Codling, - - - 3 | Plaice, - - =<) 12 Haddock, - - 833 | Common Dab, - - 32 Whiting, - - 133 | Gurnard, - - =i 22 Another drag was made here, but the net had a twist on it, and only 133 fishes were caught in the four hours that the haul lasted, 56 being marketable. The grounds off Lybster were then visited on 3rd October, and a drag taken for four hours and ten minutes in from 26 to 34 fathoms. The catch comprised 991 fishes, 400 being marketable and 591 unmarketable. Haddocks formed the bulk of the catch, numbering 811, of which only 340 were marketable ; there were also 60 gurnards, 23 codlings, aud 58 lemon dabs, as well as smaller numbers of other species. Two dog-fishes were taken in the net, and also a number of squids. The next place visited was Smith Bank, where a haul about the middle, in 19 and 20 fathoms, was taken for an hour and ten minutes, The cod-end contained an immense quantity of gurnards, which filled fifteen baskets. One which was counted contained 178 of various sizes, so that on this basis the total number would be about 2670. There of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 25 were also in the cod-end 79 haddocks, nearly all small, 13 plaice, and 76 common dabs. The contents of the small-meshed net filled six baskets, one of which contained 348 small haddocks, 93 dabs, 4 whitings, 3 codlings, 103 gurnards, and 4 lemon dabs, so that the total number of small fishes which had passed through the meshes of the cod-end would number about 3300, mostly haddocks and gurnards. Two hauls were then made in Aberdeen Bay in the neighdourhood of Newburgh, in from 5 to 13 fathoms. In the first, for four hours and ten minutes, 384 fishes were caught, of which 242 were marketable and 142 unmarketable. Haddocks, plaice, whitings, and dabs formed the greater part of the catch, most of the haddocks being unmarketable. In the next drag 572 fishes were obtained, 274 being marketable, 5 of which were turbot. The particulars of these two hauls, the time of fishing being eight hours and fifteen minutes, are as follows :— Had- | Whit-} Gur- Marhot! ; Long = M Lemon |Common Rough | Angler. dock.| ing. | nard ab Plaice. Dab. Dab. Ts 41 48 . 5 364 3 55 Il. 103 21 13 - - : 298 3 2 Total | 144 69 13 5 364 3 303 3 2 ' The statistics showed that the total quantity of fish landed at the market amounted to 653 cwts., as follows :— Cod. Codling. Ling. Hake, Haddock. Turbot. Brill. Luemon Dab, Plaice. 14¢ 3 18 4 214 4 2 18 13 2 t 4 8 Dabs. Witch Skate. Cat-fish, Rady Siccbera hoe baked LY, Early in November another series of hauls was made in Aberdeen Bay by the “Ocean Bride.” The first, for three and a quarter hours, was between the ‘‘ Black Dog” and Newburgh, in 11 to 13 fathoms, and 689 fishes were caught, of which 422 were marketable and 267 unmarketable. Haddocks numbered 185, all but 15 large enough to go to market ; there were 73 plaice, 163 common dabs, 9 cod, 63 codling, 154 whiting, as well as a halibut and 3 turbot. Other five recorded hauls were made in the same locality in from 43 to 13 fathoms, and the total number of fishes taken in the twenty-one hours and forty minutes of actual fishing was 2398, 1410 being marketable and 988 unmarketable. The particulars are given in the following Table :— Cod. Codling. Had: Whiting, | Gurnard. Ling. Coal-fish. I 62 181 685 69 1 2 II 9 66 298 ‘) [ Continued, 26 Part 11.—Twenty-third Annual Report Common Long Halibut. | Turbot. | Plaice. | ~ tough Skate. Angler. Dab. Dab. Ue 2 3 346 59 IL. ; é 230 76 | = 298 12 Total 2 3 346 289 76 293 12 Vv. The next series of trawling observations was made in the Moray Firth in the latter part of November, the trawler employed being the “‘ Bracon- hill.” Burghead Bay was first visited, and three hauls were taken there on the 2lst-and 22nd in from 5 to 15 fathoms. In the first the number of fishes secured in the three hours and fifteen minutes the drag lasted was 462, of which 421 were marketable. The bulk of the catch consisted of plaice, of which 405 were caught, mostly small and mediums. Haddocks were scarce, only 28 being taken, and they were all unmarket- able. Seven brill were also included in this catch. In the next haul, for three hours and fifty minutes, 1385 fishes were obtained, 1145 being marketable and 240 unmarketable. The number of plaice was large, viz., 1072, and they were all marketable, chiefly small and mediums. Four turbot and 12 brill were also caught in this drag, The other two hauls on this ground were equally productive, the catches totalling 1307 and 1493 fishes respectively, the greater proportion being market- able, and consisting chiefly of plaice. The vessel then steamed to the so-called ‘‘ witch-ground,” off Cromarty, and made a haul there in 27 to 30 fathoms for an hour and ten minutes with the small-meshed net around the cod-end; there was a strong breeze from the N.N.E., with snow showers and a rough sea, The number of fishes in the cod-end was 310, of which 67 were market- able ; they chiefly consisted of whitings, witches, and dabs. ‘The small- meshed net contained the following fishes :—- Codling, - - - 2 | Long Rough Dab, - 152 Haddock, . - 17} Common Dab, - - 94 Whiting, - . - 349 | Witch, - - - 21 Norway Pout, - - 83 | Gurnards, - - 4 Hake, - - 4 Two other hauls were taken in this locality, the catches of which were not recorded; in the second the net was split and the ground rope broken, and the vessel lay to till morning and then returned to Burghead Bay, where a series of hauls were made. In the first of these, in from 7 to 19 fathoms, for four hours and a half, 1139 fishes were secured, of which 939 were marketable and 200 unmarketable. The plaice numbered 917, and the haddocks 155, all of the latter except five being too small for market; a turbot and 11 brill were also taken. In the next drag 1049 fishes were taken in the four hours and ten minutes it lasted, almost all marketable, viz., 998, and mostly plaice, which num- bered 962. In the third drag, for four hours and fifteen minutes, 1283 fishes were captured, 1199 of which were marketable; and ina fourth haul 1339 were taken, 1262 being marketable, plaice again forming the greater portion of the catch, which also included 7 turbot 18 brill. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 27 The vessel then proceeded to the Dornoch Firth, where three hauls were made. One of these was not recorded, and the first of the others was a small-meshed drag, which lasted for one hour and was made in from 6 to 10 fathoms, a moderate breeze blowing from the W.S.W. with rain, and the sea being smooth. In the cod-end there were 396 fishes, 284 of which were marketable and 112 unmarketable. Most of the catch consisted of plaice, but there were also 57 large and medium had- docks, a cod, and a few dabs. The contents of the small-meshed net were as follows :— rf Codling, - - - 26 | Long Rough Dab, - 1 Whiting, - - - 408 | Plaice, - = 2-0 Common Dab, - - 127 | Herring, - _ es bTS Witch, + - - 1 | Sprat, : : Sah The second drag, in about 8 fathoms for four hours, gave 1650 fishes, of which 1594 were marketable. The catch included 1252 plaice, 5 cod, 348 haddocks, a halibut, and 2 turbot. The two drags, representing five hours’ fishing, yielded 2046 fishes, (878 being market- able. In this total the plaice numbered 1481 and the haddocks 409, The marketable and unmarketable fishes are as follows :— | Coa, | Cod- | Had- | Whit-) Coal- | Hali- | Tur- Eee ‘Lemon | Com. | Thorn- * | ling. | dock.| ing. | fish. | but. | bot. | ~~ ~~|} Dab. | Dab. | back. i. 6 7 | 389 : ii 1 Zit lea fala wr 12 Il 10 20 31 24 80 3 Total 6 17 | 409 31 1 1 2 | 1,481 3 92 3 Both among the haddocks and the plaice the proportion of the small fishes was inconsiderable compared with some other hauls. The numbers of the different classes were as follows :— Ist 2nd std 4th Unmarketable Total. Haddock, 223 166 == — 20 409 Plaice, 4 AAG ates a0 24 1481 Before leaving the Firth some further hauls were made in Burghead Bay on the 26th. In the first of these, in from 6 to 19 fathoms and for four hours and a half, the number of fishes caught was 1017, 922 being marketable. Haddocks were sparingly represented, the bulk of the catch consisting of plaice—857—and 2 turbot, 17 brill, and 2 witches were also included in the total. In the next haul, in 16 to 20 fathoms, for four hours and twenty minutes, 1013 fishes were taken, 909 being marketable; they consisted mostly of plaice. The third haul was not completely recorded ; it included nine baskets of plaice. In the ten hauls made in Burghead Bay during this trip, the duration of actual fishing being being forty hours and five minutes, the total number of fishes obtained was 11,487, or an average of 2865°6 per ten hours’ fishing the marketable numbered 10,038, the average per ten hours being 2504'4, and the unmarketable amounted to 1449, the 28 Part III.—Twenty-third Annual Report average being 361:2. The particulars are given in the accompanying Table :— sal | | po eKE Had- | Whit- , Coal- Gur- . Tur- . Cod. |Codling. dGek! ing. } fish. ar: Halibut. bot. Brill. He 19 12 ily, - ais bi - 3 19 | 121 II 59 340 160 144 Total 19 71 352 160 i 144 3 a eA | F Lemon | Black . Com. Long Plaice. | “Dab, Sole. | Witch. | pap, Bonen Skate. | Angler. I 9,404 20 ] 20 378 28 II 56 644 | 10 9 27 Total | 9,460 20 1 20 13022 10 oT 27 The number of haddocks, it will be observed, was very small, and the remark is true indeed of round fishes generally. The ten drags yielded only one dozen marketable haddocks, the same number of codlings, while all the whitings were unmarketable. Flat-fishes, on the other hand, were abundant. Nineteen turbot, 121 brill, 3 halibut, and 9404 plaice were taken to market, as well as 20 lemon dabs, a black or common sole, and some others. A considerable proportion of the plaice consisted of mediums, as the following statement shows :— Ist 2nd 3rd 4th Unmarketable Total. Plaice, 9} 41105 650908) 13 56 9460 In Aberdeen Bay, on the 28th, a haul was taken with the small-meshed net around the cod-end, in 19 to 21 fathoms, the drag lasting for one hour and fifteen minutes. The catch was a very poor one, consisting of only 18 marketable fishes and 61 unmarketable, in the cod-end, or 79 altogether, and it comprised 30 haddocks and 31 whitings, and only 6 plaice. The small-meshed net contained the following :— Codling, - - 48 | Common Dabs, s 53 Haddock, - - 46 | Long Rough Dabs, - 1] Whiting, : - 806 | Herring, - : al been - - - 6 The total quantity of fish landed as a result of this trip amounted to 1833 cwts., as follows :— Cod. Codling. Haddocks Turbot. Halibut. Brill. Lemon Dab. Plaice. Dabs. 9f 1} 63 14 4 4 146} 33 Witch. Conger Skate. BE 4 5 of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 29 Wi; In the early part of December another series of trawlings was made, the steam trawler employed being the “Loch Lydoch.” In the Moray Firth Burghead Bay was the first place visited. A haul there on the 6th, in from 16 to 43 fathoms, but chiefly under 7, for four hours, gave 1007 fishes, of which 849 were marketable and 158 unmarketable. Plaice formed the bulk of the catch; 747 were obtained, all but 9 being marketable. There were ‘also 8 cod, 4 turbot, 21 brill, and 3 lemon dabs. Only 20 haddocks were taken, and they were all unmarketable. The plaice amounted to nine level basketfuls, five consisting of mediums, one of large, and the rest thirds. The weather was fine, the sea calm, with a gentle westerly breeze. The second drag, for four-and-a-quarter hours, was made in the same place and in the same depths, and the catch amounted to 1082 fishes, 939 being marketable and 142 unmarketable. The number of plaice caught was 853, all being marketable; 11 were large, 291 medium, and 551 small, Included in the catch were 18 cod, 2 turbot, 13 brill, and a cat-fish. Haddocks were very scarce, only seven being taken, one of which was marketable. In the same locality the third drag, for four hours and ten minutes, in frora six to nine fathoms, yielded 1120 fishes, of which 950 were marketable and 170 unmarketable. There were 860 plaice, all marketable, twelve being large, 318 medium, and 530 small. There were also ten brill, twelve cod, and thirty-two haddocks, of which only six were marketable. The next haul extended into deeper water, viz., twenty fathoms, but was mostly about eight or nine, and in the four hours and five minutes it lasted 953 fishes were taken, of which 897 were marketable and 56 unmarketable. The catch included 823 plaice, all marketable, two turbot, nineteen brili, a cod, and a few dabs. There were twenty-one haddocks, all unmarketable. A drag for an hour with the small-meshed net around the cod-end of the trawl yielded in the latter 208 fishes, plaice again predominating. The small-meshed net contained 329 fishes, as follows :— Codling, - - - 8 | Sand-eel, - - - 6 Whiting, - - - 134 | Herrings, - - =) N22 Common Dab, - =m 8n-Spratsy “= . =n QS Long Rough Dab, - 1 The vessel then steamed to the Dornoch Firth, where a few hauls were made. The first, with the small-:meshed net around the cod-end, lasted for an hour, and was made in from 4 to 9 fathoms. The number of fish taken was 213—178 being marketable and 35 unmarketable. The eatch included 1 cod, 3 codling, 18 haddocks, all marketable, 156 plaice, and a few others. A few other hauls were made around a dan, placed in 12 fathoms. In the first of these, the drag lasting four hours and twenty minutes, 934 fishes were secured, of which 811 were marketable. The catch included 737 plaice, 55 of which were unmarketable, and 117 haddocks, all but ten of which were marketable. The next haul was not completely recorded ; it included two baskets of medium and one of small plaice, one basket of large and one of small haddocks. Another drag made in from 8 to 12 fathoms, and lasting for five hours, yielded 350 fishes, 742 being marketable and 108 unmarketable. Plaice formed the bulk of the catch, 746 being taken, of which 33 were unmarketable ; only 7 haddocks fy 30 Part LI.—Twenty-third Annual Report were taken in this drag, all marketable. In the three recorded hauls, the duration of fishing being ten hours and twenty minutes, 1999 fishes were caught, 1733 being marketable and 266 unmarketable. The pro- portion of large and small haddocks and plaice was as follows :— Ist 2nd 3rd 4th Unmarketable Total Haddocks, 4 18 110 — 10 142 Plaice, — 406 498 640 95 1639 The details as to the marketable and unmarketable are these :— ‘ Cod- | Had- | Whit-| Gur- -__|Lemon)| Meg- | Com. | Sole- |Thorn- Cod. ling. | dock. | ing. | nard, Blaace, Dab, | rim. | Dab. | nette.) back. Be ee Pe 2 le lh 3 5 elelis2 i - 1,544 1 1 35 - 9 Il. . 26 10 25 3 95 - . 88 1 18 Total 3 31 | 142 26 3 | 1,639 1 25 1 27 Some further drags were made in Burghead Bay with, on the whole, good catches of fish The depth was usually from 6 to 9 fathoms, the length of the haul about four hours, and the aggregate number of fishes for a haul varied from 631 to 1027. Plaice formed the greater part of the catches, but there were also a good few cod, turbot, and brill, while haddocks remained singularly scarce. The aggregate numbers in the eleven recorded hauls here during the voyege—the duration of the fishing being forty-two hours and twenty minutes—were 9253 fishes, 8032 marketable and 1221 unmarketable. The following Table shows the proportion of marketable and unmarketable of each kind :— ane Had- | Whit- | ~ Gur- Coal- = Cod. |Codling. api ing. Cat-fish. sen fish. Halibut. I 7] 37 42 1 1 1 II 172 137 148 15 - Total 71 209 179 148 1 15 1 il Lemon Common Long |Turbot.| Brill. | Plaice. Da Witch. Dab, hes Flounder. I 15 136 7,580 8 ui/ 530 - 2 II. - - 50 1 - 623 32 Total 15 136 7,580 9 17 1,153 32 2 ea ne Y |Sand Eel.| Sprat. | Angler. aeoud Herring. I - i II 6 16 1 il 41 1 11 Total 6 17 1 1 41 1 if of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 31 It will be observed that only 179 haddocks were taken, and of these only 42 were marketable, or a proportion of about one haddock per hour’s fishing. None of the 148 whitings caught were marketable, while 37 out of 209 codlings were marketable. There were 15 turbot and 136 brill, all of them being marketable. The bulk of the marketable fishes consisted of plaice, of which altogether 7580 were taken, all but 50 being marketable. The proportion of large and small among the plaice was as follows :— Ist 2nd 3rd 4th Unmarketable Total 62 3222 3854 394 50 7580 The vessel then steamed to Smith Bank, where a haul was made for an hour with the small-meshed net around the cod-end in from 19 to 22 fathoms. In the trawl-net there were only 28 fishes, viz, a codling, a brill, and 26 plaice, all marketable. The small-meshed net contained 1968 fishes, belonging to ten species, as follows :— Codlings, - = - 53 | Sand-eel, - - 1 Haddock, - - - 4 | Armed Bullhead” - ] Whiting, - - - 1861 | Liparis, - - 3 Gurnard, - - - 2 | Herring, - 5h 12 Common Dab, - = )627) |) Spraty *> - . 4 On the way to port a few hauls were taken in Aberdeen Bay, a strong N.E. wind blowing, with a rough sea and heavyrain. ‘The first drag was for an hour, in from 17 to 19 fathoms, in the northern part, off the quarries, and the small-meshed net was used. The trawl contained 143 fishes, of which 103 were marketable. ‘The catch comprised 6 cod, 54 codling, all marketable, 41 plaice, and a few others. In the next drag in the same locality, for four hours and five minutes, in from 17 to 19 fathoms, 182 fishes were caught, of which 136 were marketable and 46 unmarketable. Among the former were 19 cod, 24 codling, 2 halibuts, and 78 plaice. In neither haul were any haddocks taken. The following Table shows the proportion of the marketable and unmarketable fishes :— ‘ hi . Long Cod- | Whit- | Hali- : Com. Thorn-| Grey | Ang- God ling. | ing. | but, Plaice.! Dab, Bode back, |Skate.} ler, Il 25 78 - 2 119 12 - - 2 1 II 5 10 24 10 33 4 Total 25 83 10 2 119 36 10 30 6 1 The total quantity of fish landed by this vessel, as a result of its trip, amounted to 1187 ewts., as follows :— Cod. Codling. Haddock, Turbot. Halibut. Brill. Lemon Dab. 168 3 4 i 4 3 3 Plaice. Dabs, Skate, Catfish. i 4 o2 Part III.— Twenty-third Annual Report A Trip To THE FaERjE GROUNDS. In April a trip to Faerde was made by Mr. W. Chalmers, on board the steam trawler “Star of the Wave,” and records were taken by him and the skipper, Mr. 8. Caie, which are here included. ‘The vessel left Aberdeen on the morning of the 22nd and arrrived at Faerée early in the morning of the 24th, the voyage occupying forty and a half hours. Nearly all the fishing took place to the south-east of Fuglé, in deep water, and the weather was stormy, the vessel being compelled to lay to for twelve hours. The first haul was made about six and a half miles off, Fuglé bearing N.W. ; the trawl was dropped in 55 fathoms and hauled after four hours in 73 fathoms. The catch comprised 1048 fishes, of which all but three were marketable. Here it may be said that the offal or unmarketable fishes in the drags at the Faerde deep water grounds bear a very small proportion to the marketable fishes, and offer a contrast to what usually obtains in, say, the Moray Firth. In this haul the number of codlings was very large, viz., 520, all of them marketable ; there were 5 cod, a ling, a tusk, 16 halibuts, 400 haddocks, mostly large and all marketable, 30 lemon dabs and 9 plaice, as well as 21 cat-fish, and a few others. In the next haul, onthe same ground, the net was split, and a complete record was not made of the catch. It included, however, a basket of codling, 1 cod, 906 haddocks (all but 1 marketable), 4 halibuts, a ling, 11 cat-fish, 18 plaice, and 28 lemon dabs ; there were 15 offal fish. The next drag, also on the same grounds, in from 53 to 57 fathoms, for four hours, yielded 898 fish, all but 24 marketable. They consisted of the same kinds, codling being less numerous, and the haddocks numbered 778, all of them being marketable. A number of hauls were made on this ground on the 24th and 25th, in some of which the net was split, and in one the cod-end (of single twine on this occasion for experimental purposes) gave way and most of the catch was lost. In one of the drags, for four hours, 15 baskets of large haddocks, one of mediums, and one and a half of smalls were taken, with about 200 cod, and a number of halibut, plaice,and ling. On the afternoon of the 25th the weather was so bad that the vessel had to run for shelter, and the next forenoon fishing was resumed about 15 miles off Viderd in 60 to 67 fathoms, but with poor results, the net being split and a gale blowing. In the evening, fishing off Fuglé was resumed, and a number of hauls were taken in from 48 to 75 fathoms, haddocks, cod- lings, and cod forming the bulk of the catches. Altogether the vessel made 29 hauls in the Faerdese waters, leaving for Aberdeen on the morning of the 30th, and arriving in the port early on the morning of May 2. In some of the hauls the net was torn, and in other cases the catch was not completely enumerated. In 17 recorded hauls, the aggregate time of fishing being sixty-seven hours and twenty minutes, 13,932 fishes were captured, of which 13,767 were marketable and 164 unmarketable. The ratio per ten hours of fishing was 2069-2 fishes, the marketable being 2044°8 and the unmarketable 24-4 per ten hours. The total number of the principal species taken in these hauls, and the ratio per ten hours’ fishing, are given in the following Table :— [ TABLE. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 393 ; Cod- : Coal- Had- Whit- ogee Tiel Cod. ling. Ling. fish. aie ing Cat-fish. Tusk. INO?) 5s 538 | 3,275 12 77 8,846 5 175 3 Average} 79°77 | 486-4 1:8 Ti:4 || 1312:9: 0-74 26°0 0:44 Halibut. | Plaice. pens peur Turbot. | Megrim. | Angler. INGOs us 165 191 bol 180 4 1 6] Average 24°5 28°4. 49-0 27°0 0°6 0-15 9°0 The number of cod in any of the drags varied greatly—from nil to 160; the number of codling ranged from 50 to 520 and 484, and in these hauls they were all marketable. The total of haddocks in the different hauls varied from 242 to 1153, and they were all marketable. Cat-fish were got in each of the 17 drags, their numbers varying from 4 to 21; halibut were taken in 16 of the hauls, the numbers ranging from nil to 34 in the different hauls. Plaice were also got in each haul, the numbers varying from 4 to27._ Among lemon dabs, also taken in each of the drags, the numbers varied from 2 to 46. At already stated, the proportion of the unmarketable fishes from these grounds is small, and the sizes of the marketable are also large. The sizes of the haddcecks and plaice taken were as follows :— Ist Ind 3rd 4th Unmarketable Total. Haddock, 5,999 535 1,944 — — 8,478 Plaice, 175 16 _ — = 191 The haddocks in one of the hauls referred to, 362 in number, were not classified ; and among the “1st” in the above list are a number of “ extra large.” One haul was made for thirty minutes with a small-meshed net around the cod-end, in from 58 to 63 fathoms, south-east of Fuglo. The catch in the cod-end numbered 114 fishes, all marketable, comprising 1 cod, 48 codling, 49 haddocks, 2 cat-fish, 1 halibut, 2 plaice, 3 lemon dabs, 7 common dabs, and 1 thornback. Only 9 fishes were in the small-meshed net, viz. 3 haddocks, 253, 257, and 271mm. ; 1 common dab, of 159mm., and 5 sand-eels. Among the halibut were some small ones which were brought back and measured ; they ranged from 220mm. to 312mm. (eight and three-quarter inches to twelve anda quarter inches), and were 7 in number. The cod were stated to be spawning, and the haddocks far advanced. The quantity of the roes of haddocks and cod obtained and brought to market was ten and a half boxes. According to the market statistics, the total quantity of fish landed from this voyage amounted to 3914 ewts., as follows :—- Cod. Codling, Ling. Tusk. Saithe. Haddock. Halibut. Lemon Dab. Plaice. 1113 84 6 a 6 112 104 6 14 Dabs. Skate. Cat-fish. Monk. 3 2 26 2 34 Part III.—Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. | Time Trawl Temperature. Ue AW Fish Caught. P Depth Down. Place Date. © dg in < No No. Remarks. 2 g |Fms.| |; 2 Name taken to| ‘hrown| Total = 5 6 Z a ‘ Market.| Over- | No. < n =a) n a=] board. 1904, 1. Aber- |Jan.14.| .. 5h mee ade anonee (AO) ab tyay | Gfors se eB’ 2 ae 2 deen Bay, 20 | a.m./a.m. | Codling, .. ra 57 9 66 off New- Haddock (1), .. |123 a burgh. yl (CA wicrye tall AS ” 5 54 pa — 256 8 264 Whiting, .. i 5 Plaice (3), % 45 Be 45 Starry Ray, ce 5 5 360 27 387 2. A a 41°7 | 45°3 | 48°0 | 44 to | 11.30} 3.30 | Cod, i 5 1 me 1 Wind S.W. ; strong 9 |a.m.! p.m,| Codling, .. x 79 =e 79 breeze ; rain. | Haddock (1), S., 20 ikl 31 Whiting, .. ee “= 18 18 Plaice (3), ae 20 fd 20 Com. Dab,. 28 1 29 Long Rough Dab, oe 4 4 Herring, .. ao 14 14 Sprat, 55 = 37 22 22 148 70 218 3. “5 5 as Ss ot 8tto | to-D5i)| e-0ll Oo. oe 2 aE 2 p-m./ p.m. | Codling, .. BE 50 3 53 Haddock (1), .. {187 ae 3G » (Bh 50 | SL —217 a 217 Whiting, .. “ + 4 4 Plaice (3), eS | ee ae a » (4), eae as = — 6 oF 6 Starry Ray, 35 a 11 il 275 18 293 4. Off Jan.17) . a 34 25 3.30 | 7.30 | Cod, as Ee 20 ne 20 | S.W. strong breeze. Lybster. | a.m. | a.m.}| Codling, .. ae 12 3 15 ; | Haddock (3), as 46 100 146 Whiting, .. ES +. 15 15 Plaice (1), S50 | 33 a “te ” 2), s 18 ” (3), 83 » (4), 28 | —128 Se 128 Com. Dab,.. fs . 28 28 | 206 146 352 5. * 4 42°4 | 46°9 | 47:0 | 34 to} 10.0} 2.10 | Cod, a i 3 a3 3 | S.W. light breeze; 7 36 | a.m. | p.m.} Codling, .. a 4 on 4 sea smooth. Haddock); 22/412: ” (2), =o LO ” (4), .» [185 -: -: —157 158 315 Whiting, .. bie +: 24 24 Cat-fish, .. es 1 ss 1 Plaice (1), .. 0 [N86 ep 30 (2) 5 Oe a ; is hi Bae (3)s ee .. | 50 as is t —162 ae 162 Com. Dab, a 45 10 10 Starry Ray, > 3 Se 330 192 522 : ed oe 8 eee ee eee Date. Place. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. ’ TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Jan. 18. Temperature. Hog Fish Caught. Depth E ee o a in a No. g o | Fms. ; 2 No. |thrown| Total s = 2 re) 3 Name. takento| Over- | No. < s a 4 x Market.| board. 34to| 2.50| 7.0 | Cod, 1 1 35 | p.m.| p.m. | Codling, .. 7 7 14 Haddock (1), 4 * ” ’ 2 ber a i 94 He Se —100 104 204 Whiting, St 16 16 Coal-fish, .. 1 =F 1 Plaice (1), . pa os r Be ETHOS oe 109 : i ” 9 °° 48 © 28 —195 ec 195 Witch, ae 2 Bs 2 Com. Dab,.. ’ 22 22 Skate, 5 ne 5 311 149 460 ——eeE eee a 7.30 | 11.30 | Cod, 1 Be itt p.m. | p.m. | Codling, .. 6 6 12 Coal-fish, .. 2 ws 2 Haddock (1), 9 Pe as » (2), 14 - is ‘ 168 Be ay: —191 100 291 Whiting, : ric be: 14 Plaice (1), .- e 14 ae fe 0 (2) 61 ; - een (B)E ek 32 5 - —107 a5 107 Com. Dab,.. x ae 48 48 Skate, ne 3 / 10 Angler, : 3 Ac 3 313 175 488 », | 5.0 | 9.20] Cod, 2 2 am, | a.m. | Codling, 6 Bi 9 Haddock (1), 8 ae at ” 2), 14 a o. B(OH . |140 Ee Ss —162 92 254 Whiting, .. an 25 25 Plaice (1), .. 10 ae Se mo (OOF nb 45 eS ” yee 73 . sa —128 ee 128 Com. Dab,.. Se 238 28 Skate, 2 2 298 150 448 meee See Ge 41°4| 466 | 47:0 | 32to| 11.0 12 Cod, 1 if 34 |a.m.!noon.} Codling, .. 8 3 Haddock (1), 60 ac ” ’ 43 oa —103 103 Plaice (2), .- 1 1 108 108 30 Remarks. Net split. Net all split. Left for Sandside Bay, but forced to return ; too much wind in Pentland Firth. 36 Part I1.—Twenty-third Annual Report ; TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. oy ald Fish Caught. Depth es Place. Date Fy 3 in pa No. Remarks. g 6 | Fms. : 2 No. | thrown u | = zr) EI Name. taken to} Over- a & ra a res Market.| board. 1904. 10. Off Jan. 18.) .. = .. |25 to! 4.30] 8.30} Codling, .. xe 12 17 Lybster. 26 | p.m. | p.m. | Haddock (1), .. | 10 e i on (2), On 2 fe 3 (CU Reese re be — 84 190 Whiting, .. 2s are 38 Brill, ae is if =e Lemon Dab, Ne 33 Plaice (1), a8 7 32 (Oy, ab ee (Pea — 38 bis Com. Dab, a oe 72 ! Long Rough Dab, 7 | | 168 324 | Ds Jan,18] .. ae +E On 9.35 | 1.35 | Cod, a es 2 oh i and 9. p-m. | a.m. | Codling, .. We Sh) a ” ’ aed 70 Com. Dab,. - Long Rough Dab, .- Skate, : 5 138 11.45 | 4.10 | Codling, ne a.m. | p.m. | Coal-fish, .. 2 Haddock (1), ” (2), oe ae ” (3), ee pe Whiting, 5 Cat-fish, 1 Conger-Eel, 2 Plaice (1), .. 11 ” (2), = © 26 yy (3), «+ 2 ” 2 se ses, 72 Com. Dab,. on Long Rough Dab, a Skate, 2 79 4.35 | 8.45 | Cod, 4 p.m | p.m. | Codling, .. i Haddock (1), 16 ” (2), 20 — 36 Whiting, ae Plaice (1), .. 14 ' ” (2), oe 22 | ” asi 10 — 46 Com. Dab,. 36 Long Rough Dab, . Skate, 2 95 : Remarks. Wind N.W., strong | breeze ; very dull. | of the Fishery Board for Scotland. TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. Depth Place. Date. a a in % 6 | Fms s = 3 eae es eet ofa 1904. 22. Witch | Jan. 23. 40 to Ground, 45 off Kin- naird Head. Time Trawl 39 Fish Caught. Down. # 3 No. ° = Name. taken to a x Market, 4,30 | 8.45 | Cod, 11 a.m.|a.m.| Codling, .. 1 Haddock (1), 20 ” (2), 26 ” (4), 32 -— 78 Whiting, a Witch, 3 78 Com. Dab,.. ac ae Long Rough Dab, 168 ey 0. thrown Over- sel board. - (658) is (294) (2,142) (1,281) (4,375) Remarks. “Offal” consisted of seven baskets, one of which was counted, 40 Part IIl.—Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. une Trawl Fish Caught. own. = Depth Place. Date. a ¢ in od No. S iS |/msy| _; 2 No. | thrown Total rs) e = 3 a Name. taken to Over- 3 ~ | 7 AQ 7a 3 Market. board. 4 1904. 1. Burghead/Mar. 28.) .. a -. |9to 30) 4.30 | 8.30 | Cod, z2 oe 2 an 2 Bay. p.m. | p.m. | Codling, .. ae Sa 8 8 Coal-fish .. a 2 aD 2 Haddock (3), ts 200 20 220 Whiting, .. X 130 20 150 Cat-fish, .. Te 5 ne 5 Brill, oe as 24 Sc 24 Plaice (1), .. Boy | lets) aC Sc a 0) eae taal 8 = eh ay (GC) Bee .. |206 5c ——222 222 Lemon Dab (1), 19 ae 19 Witch(1),.... 112 19 131 | | Com. Dab,.. ee 53 313 366 Long Rough Dab, 4g 14 14 Thornback Ray, .. 11 6 iyi | Angler, .. ae Ne 17 17 | Herring, .. ae Agee! 5 | 5 | | 780 | 422 | 1202 | | } | } | | Dieta Mar23) oe) 05. -. |6to16) 855 | 12.55! Cod, 3 as 1 be 1 and 29. | p-m. am. | Codling, .. 4 10 10 | Haddock (3), ae 37 52 89 Whiting, .. ac 23 16 39 Cat-fish, .. oo 6 as 6 Brill, a Sc 40 Se 40 Plaice (1), .. Pairs) Se are a YOee. ones te a me =p) (Gh ee 70 se mame (Aires 100 i re — 302 23 325 Lemon ab, re 20 a 20 Witch, 40 ae 15 > 120 35 Com. Dab,.. Ay 90 270 360 | Thornback Ray, .. 33 8 41 | Angler, .. be if 2 9 | 574 401 975 | | | | Brie 7. Mar. 29.| .. ee -. |4to10} 1-15 | 5.35 | Cod, a ae 5 3 a.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. se 3 3 Haddock (1), BAtlas d ge | 6 (3), Be |e ue | |\—- 18 4 22 } Whiting, .. it 2 9 | Cat-fish, aa 2 ae 2 | Grey Gurnard, .. a 1 1 Turbot, a8 2 of 2 Brill, ae oe 23 ele 23 Plaice (1), .. -. | 45 36 | | 5 |, CAS Sb |) el) 3 | M(B) em cu ll20 Zs —245 72 317 Lemon Dab, a 10 2 12 Witch, 36 a6 9 5 14 Com. Dab,. . ae 80 191 271 Long Rough Dab, By 4 4 Thornback, = 11 i 1D, Angler, ee 55 1 a Lumpsucker, 2 2 413 285 698 of the Fishery Board for Scotland, TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. agile Fish Caught. Depibie. eases Place. Date. o a in = No. 8 Ss |Fms.| |; ay No. | thrown] Total | = = = ° 3 Name. taken to] Over- | No. z a Fa] a a Market,| board. 1904. . Burghead|Mar. 29.) .. be -. |4to16) 5.5u | 11.16] Cod, ae a 2 ae 2 Bay. a.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. fs 16 9 25 Haddock (1), BB | jedi) te : 2 (3), .. {150 Le : 165 43 208 Whiting, .. 2 60 15 75 Cat-fish, .. Be dq Ar a Grey Gurnard, .. 11 7 18 Turbot, .. He 2 2 Brill, ce rs 13 13 Plaice (1), .. Pepe al fers: Ka re) . | 92 » (3), . 226 » (4),. 235 —576 Ee 576 Lemon Dab, ss 30 AS 30 Witch, He ee 5 16 21 Flounder, . ie Er 9 9 Com. Dab, . 260 856 1116 Long Rough Dab, Ae 180 180 Angler, OC 23 5 28 Herring, .. OF so 8 8 Thornback, Z 14 1 15 Lumpsucker, se 1 1 1181 1150 2331 5. Off Los- - ea ee - 13 | 1.35 | 5.35 | Cod, 1 1 siemouth. p-m. | p.m. | Codling, .. se 2 2 | Lossiemouth | | | Iladdock (1), ae 2G a Ee bearing W. oa (2), ut 0 ti at | » (3) eet | 30) -: — 36 oe 36 Whiting, .. .. 24 24 Cat-fish, .. Ee 1 me 1 Grey Gurnard, os 10 we 10 Brill, Ae 8 oe 8 Plaice (i), ae ae 9 a co » (2). ae |f 28° » (3),.. -. | 39 ” (4), ee ve 16 —-107 An 107 Lemon Dab, ie 2 A 2 Long Rough Dab, ae 10 - 10 Com. Dab, . : ts 68 68 Lumpsucker, eS se 1 1 191 79 270 6. Off Mar. 30.) .. Be -- |44to]12.40] 5.0 | Cod, 3 se 8 8 Burghead. 45 | a.m.| a.m. | Codling, .. a 4 2 6 Hake, 5 a 5 ae 5 Haddock (1), bead eae a re ” (2), ~ aalees we 3 (3), . (693 ae —-788 29 817 Whiting, .. er 146 6 152 Grey Gurnard, .. 3 1 4 Brill, : a 1 ss 1 Plaice Oe (2), Whiting, Plaice (2), .. sot CB) ye ” (4), WO Com. Dab,.. Thornback, Cod, Codling, .. Coal-fish, .. Haddock (1), i) ” (2), Halibut, Turbot, 5 Plaice (1), .. hn), Lemon Dab, Com. Dab, Codling. .. Haddock, .. Whiting, Grey Gurnard, Turbot, Brill, : Plaice (1), .. 1) (2); 6. »» (8), .. ” yee Witch, : Lemon Dab, Com. Dab, Skate, Fish Caught. | ape 1 8 32 = 25 57] 4 a 31 57 # 67 ; 89 e 2213/9 wile 12} 50 4 3 284, 112 5 6 2 1 191 141 56 —— 332 16 1 38 2 4 369 240 631 ——1244 8 3 $9 30 1594 56 iG 15 22 1 2 ¢ 17 12 417 385 43 —— 857 2 2 oie 37 50 5 26 922 95 No. No. thrown takento Over- Market.) board. Bi” Pes 7 2 19 14 7 a ie 18 10 595 528 1133 5) 1 S6 83 31 4 1262) {Hh | Remarks. W.S.W. gentle breeze ; sea rough. Wind W.S.W. ; moderate breeze : sea smooth ; rain. Weather fine. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. 53 Place. Date. 1904. Burghead|Nov. 20. Bay. Aberdeen Noy. 28. Bay. Burghead Bay. Dec. 6. Temperature. 3 a ° i=} = = = ° < nD ea) 43°5 45°0 45°3 16 to 6 told 19 to 21 41 to 16 Time Traw!] | Down. | Shot. 3.20 10.0 | 2.0 | p.m. Hauled. 7.40 12.30 a.m, 11.15 a.m. 6.0 p.m. Fish Caught. + No. o. | thrown Name. taken to} Over- Total Market.} board 2: i] Cod, 1 Aan 1 Codling, 2 8 8 Haddock, .. a 15 15 Whiting, .. ac 19 19 Grey Gurnard, ae 7 7 Halibut, 1 Be 1 Turbot, 1 3 Brill, = 4 4 Plaice (1), .. 12 A =r): 418 i 3) @) 371 mie san(4)s 70 bc —-871 12 883 Lemon Dab, 1 are | 1 Com. Dab, . d 30 30 60 Long Rough Dab, ais 10 10 Angler, : 3 3 909 104 1013 Cod, 4 ra 4 Codling, a 3 3 Haddock, .. Be 23 23 Whiting, ac 10 10 Grey Gurnard, no M4 2 Plaice (Medium), | 7 bskts ¥ , », (Small), 5 = ; 9 bskts’ se ac Com. Dab, : ee 41 41 | Long Rough Dab, 7 7 Angler ; : 5 5 Codling, bg 11 11 Haddock, .. 11 19 30 Whiting, .. a 31 31 Plaice (2), 6 7 6 Lemon Dab, 1 1 18 61 79 Cod, 8 G 8 Codling, 6 27 33 Haddock, .. | 20 20 Whiting, : 18 18 Grey Gurnard, cic fi 7 Turbot, 4 | 4 Brill, a 21 aera 21 Plaice (1), .. 18 ao oe ee (2)5 5. 272 iis ea) et: 448 Bi iy —-738 9 747 Lemon Dab, 2 1 3 Com. Dab. 70 57 127 Long Rough Dab, 9 9 Herring, 3s 5 5 Cottus scorpius, .. 1 1 Sandy Ray, 2 2 Angler, 2 2 849 158 1007 Remarks. Worked mostly in 6 to 7 fathoms. 54. Part I11.— Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE L Temperature. paue Trawl Fish Caught. own. Depth Place. Date. Fy E in ae No. Remarks. 2 So |Fms.| |; 2 No. | thrown] potay a 5 = ° zg Name. taken to) Over- | “yo =< n Q Dn i Market. | board. 2 1904. Burghead | Dec. 6. 44 to| 632 | 10.47 | Cod, 18 18 Bay. 16 Codling, 6 7 13 Haddock, .. 1 6 7 Whiting, .. aA 32 32 Cat-fish, il a il Grey Gurnard, ‘ 7 7 Turbot, 2 se 2 Brill, ae 13 35 13 Phaice(1), .. 11 ae ate ay (sem. 291 a 5. (Eien 551 a, - —853 43 853 Com. Dab,.. 45 89 | 134 Angler, an i il 939 142 1081 | a Dees (ayer 6to9) 3.35 | 7.45 | Cod, 12 12 | a.m. | a.m, | Codling, .. 8 31 39 Haddock (2), 6 26 32 Whiting, se 12 12 Brill, Ha 10 ae 10 Plaice (1), .. 12 oe ze RON ae 318 a ¥ E(B) ae 530 ie ss —860 54 860 | Lemon Dab, 2 as 2 | Com. Dab,.. 56 51 65 116 Long Rough Dab, fe 12 12 Sandy Ray, 5 1 9 10 Herring, 1 1 Angler, 14 14 950 170 1120 ” ” 7k to| 8.5 12.10 Cod, 1 ae 1 20 | a.m. | p.m. | Codling, 4 5 5 Haddock, . . 21 21 Whiting, : 7 7 Grey Gurnard, ifs 1 1 Turbot, 2 F 2 Brill, ae 19 5 19 Plaice (1),.. 5 ee ie Pn) 321 = 4, on = (Gos 497 as te ——823 ac 823 Lemon Dab, i 20 1 Witch, oat 5 me 5 Com. Dab, a 46 14 60 Long Rough Dab, ; 1 1 Sandy Ray, 3 3 Angler, 4 4 897 56 953 | . E 38°3 | 44°2 | 45°5 | 74 | 1.43 | 2.43 | Codling, : 3 3 | Small-meshed net p.m. | p.m. | Whiting, .. ae 2 2 experiment Brill, BS 2 5c 2 Plaice (1),.. 2 50 os yy (Oe 56 : si (EG) Res 118 30 as —176 46 176 Com. Dab, 2 14 16 Sandy Ray, 70 2 2 Herring, 5 5 Sprat, 1 1 Sand-eel, .. 1 1 180 28 208 1904, Dornoch} Dee. 7. Firth. Burghead) Dec. 9. Bay. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE L ays) Time Trawl Temperature. Monat Fish Caught. Depth + g | ie od N Phe 3 io} ms. : 2 oO. rown a = = 6 2 Name. taken to) Over- Tae a a faa] 4 fen} Market.| board. 2 4 to9| 6.50 | 7.50 | Cod, 1 i 1 p.m. | p.m.| Codling, .. 1 2 3 Haddock (2), 18 : 18 Whiting, 1 12 13 ' Plaice (2), .. 75 F oy GS oa 74 zs ef -—149 7 156 Lemon Dab, ne 2 6 8 Thornback Ray. . . 6 i 13 Solenette, .. : 1 1 178 35 213 8 to 12) 8.20 | 12.40} Codling, - 2 2 p.m. | a.m. | Haddock (1), 2 : os ss (3), 105 7 ee ——107 10 117 Whiting, So 4 4 Plaice (2), .. 171 oe sie 95 ae 197 ; - % MEDS es 314 : oe —682 55 737 Lemon Dab (1), 1 ae 1 Megrim (1), 1 me 1 Com. Dab,.. = 17 43 60 Thornback Ray, .. 3 9 12 811 123 934 — 5} to| 4.20 | 8.30 | Codling, . ae 27 27 9 p.m | p.m. | Haddock (1), 1 de xc a 2), 5 eS Be ” (4), 9 . aie — 15 Ae 15 Whiting, a 7 7 Turbot, 3 2 3 Brill, 13 13 Plaice (1), .. 2 as an PDF 284 re ” (3), - 254 a » @),- 67 . -—607 6 613 Witch, 2 aa 2 Com. Dab, 60 97 157 Flounder, .. 1 oe 1 Thornback, . 1 1 701 138 839 6to9]} 8.40 | 12.45 | Cod, 4 ae a p.m, | a.m. | Codling, .. 2 23 25 Haddock (1), 2 9 11 Whiting, ne 13 13 Brill, 9 35 9 Plaice (1), .. 3 a be ‘6 Oe 316 r Foe 278 Ar eee 17 af -—614 ce 614 Com. Dab,.. 84 132 216 Angler, va 2 2 715 179 894 Remarks. 56 Place. Burghead Bay. Part III.—Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Date. 1904. Dec. 19. Temperature. Air. Surface Bottom. 45°5 pime Draw! Fish Caught. Depth > in = No. Fims. 3 2 No. | thrown Total S 3 Name. taken to] Over- No = or Market.| board : 4} to 8) 7.30 | 11.30] Cod, 3 3 a.m. / a.m. | Codling, 3 4 7 Haddock, a 8 8 Whiting, of iil 11 Brill, 2 8 iis 8 Plaice (1), .. 1 #3 eB): 250 S x (Obs 260 a » (4). 38 : ——549 4 553 Lemon Dab. 1 1 Com. Dab, 24 15 39 Flounder, .. 1 1 589 42 631 6 to9| 12.10} 4.30 | Cod, 7 7 p-m. | p.m. Codling, 2 3 5 Haddock, : 9 9 Brill, 3 12 ; 12 Plaice @):. 202 ot arn) 103 ys aan (sue 29 :- —334 5 339 Com. Dab, 5 17 22 360 34 394 6} to9) 5.0 | 9.5 | Cod, 10 pis 10 p.m. } p.m. Codling df 15 22 Handock (2), 6 11 17 Whiting, 3¢ 31 31 Coal-fish, 1 ak 1 Halibut, 1 1 Turbot, 1 1 Brill, 16 16 Plaice (1), .. 4 ae ” (2), 28 328 ad 55, (BY 65 343 : A Ado 104 a0 - 779 13 792 Lemon Dab, 2 sé 2 Com. Dab, 72 47 119 Long Rough Dab, ate 4 4 Angler, .. 3 9 9 Thornback, 2 2 895 132 1027 | 6 to 9] 5.40 }10.10 | Cod, 5 ar 5 p-m.} p.m. Codling, 2 Bl 13 Haddock, se 8 8 Whiting, ae 12 12 Brill, Sf 4 aa 4 Plaice (2), <2 230 be Ba sn (Came 263 f a a (COPS 109 32 Bes —602 9 611 Com. Dab, 50 34 84 Long Rough Dab, : 1 1 Thornback, : 3 3 Angler, 5 5 663 83 746 ee Remarks. — Wind WS: We light breeze ; sea smooth. Net split. Net slightly split. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Time Trawl Temperature. Donn Bottom. 12 a.m. | noon 8to12) 1.40 | 6.40 p.m. | p.t. 19 to 22 11.5 a.m. 12.5 p.m. Bank.| Dec. 12. 17 to | 10.30 | 11.30 19 12.35 | 4.40 p.m. | p.m, 41°2 | 43:2 | 48°0 ” Fish Caught. 57 Brill, Com. Dab, i Long Rough Dab, Angler, : Cod, Codling, .. Haddock (1), ” (3), Whiting, Grey Gurnard, Plaice (2), .. (3), .. ” (4), oC Com. Dab, é Thornback Ray, . ae ” Codling, Brill, a3 Plaice(2), .. Cod, Codling, Whiting, .. Plaice (2), .. ” (3), —— Com. Dab,. 3 Long Rough Dab, Grey Skate, 5 Thornback, Cod, Codling, Halibut, Plaice (2), .. (3), -- Com. Dab.. ; Long Rough Dab, Thornback, id Angler, No. No. taken to| Over- Market.| board. throw ) otal No. wont 746 55 2 850 3 on 1 16 12 19 Se 3 9 ae 4 Ap 354 =e 207 a 30 ce —595 4 10 18 21 42 3 5 4 654 93 m2 ab 4 22 2 oe 5 se — 7 3s 9 Ae 3 160 : 227 326 - —-713 33 16 39 2 742 108 1 ut 26 28 6 Sr 54 36 oe 10 33 =e 8 ot — 41 fa ate 8 S0 1 2 4 3 17 103 40 19 a 24 5 2 oe 58 43 20 aa —- 78 Ee 12 16 : 9 ec 16 1 ot 136 46 Remarks. N.E. strong breeze; rain ; sea rough. Strong breeze from N.E. Small-meshed net on cod end. Small-meshed net over cod end; N.E. strong breeze; sea rough; and heavy rain, 58 Part [1] —Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. aitne Tea! Fish Caught. aoe 4 ___|Depth} _ cs a ee eee Place. Date. ry a in = No. Remarks, oO i 7 y s Ss |Fms NS 2 No. | thrown Total x rs 3 ° Bs Name. taken to} Over- NG a S s 5 ee Market.| board. ? 1904. Waerde. | Apr. 24.) .. ; .. |55 to} 4.20 | 8.20 | Cod, 5c Be 5 fe 5 | Stormy. Fuglo, 73 | a.m.| a.m. | Codling, .. o 520 oe 520 bearing Haddock (1), .. {190 Z Ay N.W. 7 (2), -- | 42 we ae (3), .. |168 ne —400 400 Ling, ae se 1 ate 1 Tusk, 35 30 1 ae 1 Cat-fish, .. A 21 B 21 Halibut, .. a 16 te 16 Plaice (1), .. sf 8 BA AA ye ( C4) ee aa 1 — 9 a5 9 Lemon Dab, oe 30 oe 30 Com. Dab, 53 33 2 35 Long Rough Dab, Be 1 1 Thornback, as 8 se 8 Angler, .. 4 1 S32 1 1045 3 1048 Fuglo, cf oe a .. |53 to] 8.50 | 12.50] Cod, ake ae 1 55 1 | Stormy ; net spli N.W. by W. 73 | a.m.|p.m.| Codling, .. om 1 biskt. a Haddock (1), .. 1656 Bo We (2) gee ek N49 : ” (3); 200 : —905 1 906 Ling, 1 ‘5 1 Cat-fish, 11 11 Halibut, So + ze 4 Plaice (1), .. fs 18 be 18 Lemon Dab, AS 28 a8 28 Com. Dab, = 27 10 37 Long Rough Dab, be il 1 Thornback, i 3 1 4 Angler, .. =e 4 2 6 Fuglo, 5 7. A .. |53to| 1.40 | 5.40 | Cod, ae + 2 Be 2 | Stormy; tow-n bearing 57 | p.m.| p.m.| Codling, .. a 50 un 50 torn to pieces. N.W. by W. Haddock (1), .. |496 xe ” (2); .. | 41 i (3), .. *(241 —778 ue 778 Coal-fish, .. aS 1 ae 1 Cat-fish, .. 4a 11 ap 11 Halibut, S 6 ve 6 Plaice (1), .. es 7 ae 7 Lemon Dab, 46 15 a 15 Com. Dab, 1 23 24 Angler, 3 1 4 874 24 898 Fuglo, 3 ra ne nie 57 | 6.5 | 10.5 | Cod, Be & 86 es Stormy ; net spli W.N.W. p-m. | p.m. | Codling, .. 36 9 biskts. S Haddock (1), .. (595 a 5 * Oy es: } biskt. | “5 (3), 103 30 Ling, 15 Tusk, 2 | Coal-fish, 6 | Cat-fish, 8 Halibut, we 12 Plaice (1), .. ae 51 Lemon Dab, Es a Es Com. Dab, A) ae 9 Angler, .. Be ot 1 of the Fishery Board for Scotland. | 59 TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I Temperature. dire Daye Fish Caught. __ |Depth! Een Pe ieee tec) Ee : a Date. 3 a in | < No. Remarks. = 6 |¥Fms. : 2 No. | thrown! motay a = = 6 3 Name. taken to} Over- | “y a 2 i a a x Market. | board. : 1904, Apr. 24] .. = =e 5a bo 2b||) B2bn | Cod, ae Ae Uf Ls 7 | Cod-end gave way; and 25. 65 | p.m. | m Codling, .. ts 11 MG ual most of fish lost ; Haddock (1), .. (106 ae Py no offal. Bs (Qs ¥ a of (3), spall) ze 33 —138 138 Coal-fish, .. an 1 1 Cat-fish, .. Rs 1 oe 1 Halibut, .. ies 5 ee 5 Plaice (1), .. a 3 a 3 Lemon Dab, oF 10 ae 10 176 fe 176 Faeroe. | Apr.25.| .. sf a 63 3.5 | 7.0 | Cod, ae a 200 s. Hy Strong wind; a.m. | a.m, | Codling, .. ae 4 biskts. ae weather stormy; Haddock (1), .. {15 bskts. : : split net. ” (2), OO 1 ” ” (3), iy ” V7 Ling, Coal-fish, 17 Halibut, .. bys 8 ae Plaice (1), .. M 1} biskt. ” 1 3 is pes if 7.40 | 12 | Cod, 3 td 1 or 1 | Wind and snow. a.m. |noon.| Codling, .. ue 146 ap 166 Haddock, .. ae 362 5D 362 Ling, ee ar 5 rs 5 Cat-fish, .. ae 10 By 10 Halibut, .. a 6 af 6 Plaice (1), .. is 7 - ats » (2), 1 . — 8 an 8 Lemon Dab, He 14 ge 14 Com. Dab, a BG 13 xg Thornback, 2 1 3 Angler, 6 : 6 580 - 14 594 Fuglo, ” PY oe .. |63to| 12.40] 5.40 | Haddock (1), .. [1 bskt. | N.N.W. 71 | p.m.| p.m. ‘ Bye aes =e ” Cat-fish, 5 Halibut, wa 3 Plaice (1), .. te 3 Lemon Dab, RE 5 F Angler, a 15 miles | Apr. 26.| .. Ee .. |60to| 11.30} 1.30 |} Cod, Pe oe 3 ee 3 | Heavy swell ; wind N.W. 7 | a.m.| p.m. | Haddock (1), .. | 7 rs so N.N.W.; very Viders. “s (2), a 2 ae ae stormy; net split. | ” (3), 4 — 18 13 Ling, 1 L Com. Dab, 1 1 Angler, 1 1 | 19 ae 19 60 Place. N.W. Videro. Fuglo, bearing N.W. Fuglé, N.W. Part L11—Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. Fish Caught. Depth a = Date. 3 a in rd No. Remarks. a o |Fme.| |; 2 No. | thrown) motq] a & $ o 5 Name. taken to| Over- No a = fat a | Market.| board. : 1904. Apr. 26. 60 to | 2.15 | 6.15 | Haddock (1), 170 Se Strong wind and 69 | pm. | p.m. ” (3), 17 9 heavy swell, —- 187 187 ‘ Ling, 2 2 Halibut, 4 4 Lemon Dab, 7 7 Angler, 2 2 202 cle 202 Apr, 26 48 to | 9.15 | 12.15 | Cod, 70 70 | Blowing a_ gale. and 27, 49 | p.m. |a.m.| Codling, .. 264 264 from west. Haddock (1), 168 oe hag)! 21 - oe 53 fr ; — 242 242 Coal-fish, .. 8 8 Cat-fish, 15 50 15 Halibut, .. 13 1 14 Plaice (1), .. 7 as ae A (G2) ioe 1 oft or -— Si =. 8 Lemon Dab, 11 3 14 Com. Dab,.. 7 if Thornback, 2 1) 631 13 644 Apr. 27. 48 to | 12.50] 4.50 ; Codling, .. 52 | ea 152 | Very stormy. 59 | a.m. | a.m. | Haddock (1), 198 Le x ” (2), 31 . . mr (8)! 58 © as — 287 ais 287 Coal-fish, . 15 55 15 Cat-fish, fc ae 7 Halibut, .. 10 aS 10 Plaice (1), .. 13 AO 13 Lemon Dab, 29 1 30 Com. Dab,.. iB 5 Starry Ray, 1 2 3 Angler, af 1 514 9 523 ” 48 to| 5.15 | 9.15 | Cod, 3 ; 3 | Stormy. 63 | a.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. 484 Se 484 Haddock (1), 1034 5 Ss ae (2), 33 24 oe 03), 86 A: 2 “ —1153 ae 1153 'S Coal-fish, 3 a 3 Cat-fish, 5 Se 5 Halibut, .. Bl sae 5 Plaice (1), .. 9 i 9 Lemon Dab, 7 ae 7 Com. Dab, . . 24 sje 24 Angler, 2 2 1693 2 1695 f Place. Fuglé, bearing N.W. Date. 1904. Apr. 27. Apr. 28. of the Fishery Board for Scotland. TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. o cI Oo i=] .|/ 48/3 f = = =] 2 < n aa 63 to 75 65 to 73 Time Trawl Down. 11.0 a.m. 3.0 p.m. 3.20 | 7.20 p-m. | p.m. 11.55 p.m. 7.55 p.m. 12.25 | 4.25 a.m, | a.m. Fish Caught. = as o. | thrown Name. taken to} Over- al Market.| board “ Cod, 18 “ie 18 Codling, .. 148 be 148 Haddock (1), 902 i a 39 (2), 33 ay ac ” (3), 82 Ar oc —1017 ae 1017 Coal-fish, 8 He 8 Cat-fish, 13 re 13 Halibut, 7 F 7 Plaice (1), .. 9 3 3 Poe (C4) ee 2 an ae — ll ts ugk Lemon Dab, 7 1 8 Com. Dab, 2 12 14 Thornback, 2 ae 2 Starry Ray, 1 Sc 1 Angler, 4 3 7 1238 16 1254 Haddock (1), 123 a esiles'(3); 66 3 as —189 At 189 Halibut, 1 se 1 Plaice (1), .. 1 3 1 Lemon Dab, 3 56 3 Com. Dab, at ae 3 3 Angler, .. Se 2 5 2 196 3 199 Cod, 29 29 Codling, .. 144 144 Haddock (1), 432 nc a (2) 56 9 (3), 149 a —637 637 Tusk, 1 1 Ling, 6 6 Whiting, 5 5 Cat-fish, 18 18 Halibut, 8 8 Turbot, - 4 4 Plaice (1), .. 21 AC ” (2), oe 2 ee —— 23 23 Lemon Dab, 30 1 31 Megrim, 1 : 1 Com. Dab,.. : 12 12 Thornback, 6 17 23 Grey Skate, 2 ae 2 Angler, 5 2 a 919 32 951 Cod, 55 5 55 Codling, .. 108 : 108 Haddock (1), 957 j a5 ” (2), 32 . es 5 (3), 49 5 Ane —1038 é 1038 Coal-fish, .. 17 é 17 Oat-fish, .. 15 > 15 Halibut, 18 : 18 Plaice (1), .. Us 3 3 | MEME co 2 dc Se — 9 AA 9 Lemon Dab, 28 4 32 Com. Dab, 13 6 19 Thornback, 7 9 16 Angler, 4 1 5 1312 20 1332 Remarks, Stormy. 61 Stormy ; split net ; two tow-nets at- tached to warps. Weather stormy. 62 Part I11.—Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Time Trawl Temperature. ipa Fish Caught. # Depth ae f Place. Date. 3 a in a No. Remarks. _ SI o |Fms.| |; 2 No. | thrown) moiay Po 7 2 re) 5 Name. taken to. Over- No. a 5 Ss a = Market.) board. : . 1904. Fuglo, Apr. 28. 65 4.55 | 8.55 | Cod, 4 4 Wind S.S.E. bearing a.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. 111 lll N.W. Haddock (1), 154 7% a 2), 1 & * (3) 194 Zz : —359 359 Coal-fish, .. 2 2 Cat-fish, 13 13 Halibut, 3 3 Plaice (1), .. 11 : 11 Lemon Dab, 15 se 15 Thornback, 1 Be 1 Angler, 1 1 2 wes we 520 1 521 ” ” 58 to} 9.50 | 10.20| Cod, it 1 | Heavy swell; smajl- 63 | am. |a.m.| Codling, .. 48 48 meshed net. Haddock (1), 20 a ” (2), 7 . . ” (8); 22 .: | —- 49 49 ; Cat-fish, 2 2 Halibut, .. 1 1 Plaice (1), .. 2 2 Lemon Dab, 3 3 Com. Dab,.. 7 7 Thornback, 1 u 114 2 114 »” ” 63 to| 11.0] 30 | Cod, 160 160 | Heavy swell. 65 | a.m.|p.m.| Codling, .. 112 112 Haddock (1), 267 as ” (2), 71 3c ef -(3)s 215 be —553 553 Coal-fish, .. 5 5 olay 4 7 Halibut, .. 8 & Plaice (1), 5 5 | Lemon Dab, 5 5 . Skate, 3 3 Angler, 4 4 862 862 ” 7 54 to| 3.30 | 7.30 | Cod, 1 : 1 | Heavy sea running, 65 | p.m. | p.m.| Codling, 144 : 144 ‘ ; - Haddock (1), 138 2 bd 3, 2), 25 ; af ence), 238 i a —-401 ; 401 Coal-fish, .. 3 z 3 Cat-fish, 7 4 7 ¢ “Halibut, .. 8 x 8 Plaice (1), .. 9 f oP BME 6), =. 1 : is 3 —- 10 2 10 Lemon Dab, 16 i 16 Skate, 2 , 2 Angler, 4 2 6 596 2 598 bel of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 63 , TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS--TABLE I. % Temperature. eer Fish Caught. = Depth = | Place. Date. | Fs E in rae | No. Remarks. 3 o |Fms aS 2 No. | thrown Total 3 rs) S ° 3 Name. taken to} Over- No 2 & & 4 es Market. | board. 5 1904. Fuglo, |Apr.28| .. ce .. |54to] 8.15 | 12.15 | Cod, a aa 61 ss 61 | Very stormy ; wind bearing | and 29, 62 | p.m.} a.m. | Codling, .. re 144 oe 144 S.E.; net split. N.W. = Haddock (1), .. {190 Ne i se 2), ric 88) ke os He) (Spi eee hb x —348 348 Tusk, 1 1 Cavt-fish, a 9 ats 9 Plaice, gt me 9 ne 9 Lemon Dab, ne 11 + 11 Angler, .. ws 2 2 585 585 Sualndepon |)osso 0) od, Pe Ae 55 : 55 | Blowing a gale. a.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. 3a 134 oe 134 Haddock (1), ao (202 ae TD). at ell x, ” (3), 29 es —s12 312 Coal-fish, 3 3 Cat-fish, 4 4 Halibut, 3 3 Plaice, A 4 4 Lemon Dab, sid 29 3 32 i Com. Dab, ae Ac 6 6 Angler, . Sc 3 3 Dog-fish, 4 4 544 16 560 54 to | 6.15 | 10.15} Codling, .. ah 3 hs 3 | Heavy swell. 75 |am.| am. | Haddock(1), . se ae ac ” 2 ee 6 (3), S05 hel 7 —114 114 Bo 10 10 Halibut, .. we 3 3 Plaice, 2 2 Lemon Dab, Sa 5 Ais 5 Dog-fish, .. a oe 8 8 Angler, a3 57 1 1 137 9 146 56 to | 10.40 | 2.40 | Haddock (1), at Nak: Ke Pe S.E. wind. (oy |) aan ||pim: 39 (Die aaah ae! ue bs » (spr. | —~- 54 a 54 Coal-fish, .. AY 9 oD 9 Cat-fish, .. Br 7 a a Halibut, .. At 1 1 Plaice (1), .. Se 7 Te) aoc Bh Zz — 9 is 9 Lemon Dab, Re 3 oe 3 Starry Ray, : 1 as 1 Angler, iL is 1 85 = 86 55 to| 4.15 | 8.15 | Cod, oa oA 8 Ag 8 | Stormy. 60 | p.m. | p.m.]| Codling, .. ae 160 5 160 Haddock (1), .. /140 x 3s ” 2 o- 15 " “e (3), .. | 88 aS —243 243 Coal-fish, .. 2 2 Cat-fish, 5 5 Halibut, ws 3 3 Plaice (1), .. ad 6 6 Lemon Dab, 2 2 Angler, 1 1 430 430 64 Part T1I.—Twenty-third Annual Report TRAWLING INVESTIGATIONS—TABLE I. Temperature. tg Fish Caught. Depth) aan Place. Date. 3 FI in = No. Remarks, 8 So |Fms.| |; 2 No. |thrown) ota s = 2 i} a Name. taken to} Over- | “xo a 4 Ss a ies Market.| board. : 1904. Fuglé, | Apr. 29 55 |. 8.50 | 12.50] Cod, 5 61 61 bearing and 30. p.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. 264 264 N.W. Haddock (1), 163 i (Oe seule as » (3), 99 2 —-283 283 Coal-fish, 5 5 Cat-fish, 4 7 4 Halibut, 34 : 34 Plaice (1), - 27 : 27 Lemon Dab, 46 50 46 Angler, 4 4 8 728 4 732 45 Apr. 30 54 1.25 | 3.0 Cod, 9 Se 9 | Split net; stormy. a.m. | a.m. | Codling, .. 2 100 ate 100 Haddock (1), - 71 71 Coal-fish, .. 7 7 Cat-fish, a 1 Plaice (1), .. 4 i 4 192 a5 192 5 aS E 54 to} 3.30 | 7.30 | Cod, 5 5 56 | a.m.|a.m.]| Codling, .. 170 170 Haddock (1), 298 Ee ” (2), 19 a ” (3), 110 “- ~—427 427 Coal-fish, .. 5 5 Cat-fish, 11 11 Halibut, 16 16 Plaice(1), .. 16 ave » (2), .- 6 — 22 22 Lemon Dab, ae 23 23 Com. Dab,.. 16 5 21 Thornback, ne 3 3 Angler, 2 3 2 697 8 705 of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 65 IIl._—A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE LOBSTER (HOMARUS VULGARIS). By H. Cuwas. Wiuuiamson, M.A., D.Sc., Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen. (Puatrs I.-IV.) CONTENTS. PAGE Experiments in Lobster-Culture, . : : : 65 The Rearing of Lobsters, . : : : : 68 The Larval Stages, . 73 History of the Adult Lobsters after the Eggs had Hatched, 87 Proportion of Berried Hens in the Catch of ersten, 3 88 The Casting of the Lobster, . : ; 89 The Rate of Growth, : : 2 : 95 The Behaviour of the Lobster, F : ‘ : 95 Examination of the Ovary, . . : : : 98 Spawning, . { : : : - : 100 Hatching, . : : : : : : 103 Literature, . ‘ : ; : F 104 Description of Plates, : é : : : 106 EXPERIMENTS IN LoBsTER-CULTURE. In the summer of 1902 the Fishery Board instructed me to carry out some experiments in the culture of lobsters and crabs. It was intended that the young lobsters hatched out at the Laboratory should be liberated on the north coast of Aberdeenshire, in the neighbourhood of Fraser- burgh. In order to obtain a supply of larvee a number of berried hen lobsters were procured from Girvan and Dunbar in June and July. Eight were sent from Girvan and ten from Dunbar ; one was captured in the Bay of Nigg. One of the Dunbar lobsters arrived on August 2nd. The lobsters were conveyed by rail, packed, in some cases, in straw, in other cases in dripping seaweed. The latter method was much the better, the lobsters, after their eight to twelve hours’ confinement, being unpacked i in a fresh and lively condition. Some of those packed in straw succumbed. In 1904 the stock of berried lobsters were all packed in wet seaweed, and none died in transit. No special apparatus, with the exception of two tin boxes, was made for the experiment. A temporary arrangement of the hatching apparatus (Dannevig’s), used for the eggs of the “plaice, proved successful on the whole. The eggs were already far advanced. An attempt was made to hatch the eggs detached from the parent lobster in one or two cases where the latter had died during transport to Aberdeen. A sheet-iron box, which fitted into one of the compartments of the hatching apparatus, and which was arranged with a perforated bottom through which the water entered, to escape by the top of the box through a erating, was employed ; but a considerable death-rate ensued, and the eggs were attacked by a fungus. None of the eggs hatched out. It was decided to allow the eggs to remain attached to the parent until they hatched. All that was necessary then was to keep the adults in a suitable tank and to make arrangements whereby the larve, as they hatched out, could be captured and removed to suitable boxes where they would be under control. 66 Part ITT. —Twenty-third Annual Report Fullarton adopted the method of keeping the berried females in con- finement, in an open pond, until the eggs hatched; but in his experi- ments carried out in 1895 the larve were allowed to escape to the sea as they were hatched. In the present case the young lobsters had to. be retained. The arrangement was as follows The berried hens, fourteen in number, were kept in a wooden tank measuring about 8 feet by 4 feet 6 inches by 2 feet deep. The water supply entered at the bottom of the box, and the outflow took place from the surface of the water. The overflow water was led into the hatchery and distributed into the hatching apparatus. As the little lobsters hatched out they were carried down to the hatchery and caught and detained in the hatching boxes. In order that a large number comparatively of lobsters be kept in a small area, it is necessary that they each be provided with a hole or pen for shelter. The wooden tank in which the adults were confined was prepared in the following manner. A plank of wood about 7 inches wide was hinged by means of large fencing staples to the side of the wooden tank. When horizontal in position it was about 4 or 5 inches above the bottom. ‘The space beneath this shelf was divided off by means of bricks set on edge into as many compartments us were required; in this case seven. The shelf rested on the bricks, and when the tank was filled it was kept down by a suitable weight, some stones or bricks. One shelf was put on each long side. This arrangement permitted of ready examination of the lobsters, as when the superincumbent stones were removed the shelf floated up, revealing the lobsters. They remained there, then, in apparently suitable con- ditions. Each lobster stuck to its pen, its body hid by the shelf, and its projecting antennz alone betraying its presence. Only one lobster died from injuries received through fighting with the other inhabitants of the tank. The large chelz were not tied. The young hatched out in batches. The eggs of one female do not all hatch simultaneously, but over a period. In two cases recorded by Herrick, a week elapsed from the time the first larva appeared until all were hatched out. Fullarton found the time necessary for hatching a single brood varied from a week to three weeks, or even longer, The aeration of the eggs attached to the abdominal feet of the female is assured in the following manner. The lobster is seen every now and then with its abdomen stretched out to its full extent and resting on the inturned edge of the telson. The swimmerets are meanwhile gently waved backwards and forwards, in this way aerating the eggs and tending to cleanse them. When the eggs are ready to hatch this facilitates the escape of the larve. This action was noticed by Coste. The hatching of the lobster eggs at Brodick, Fullarton states, occurred in July, August, and September, with a maximum in August. The first young lobsters were observed in the Laboratory, Bay of Nigg, on July 11th; they had then reached the hatching apparatus. They apparently hatch during the night, as each morning there was a fresh addition to the stock. The little lobsters were in the first zoéa stage (fig. 66). They were kept in boxes having sieve bottoms, which were placed in the top compartments of a hatching apparatus. They measured about 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot, and were painted black. They received light from above only. The number of larve kept in one box varied, but not more than twenty were knowingly confined together. They were kept in the top compartments in order that they might obtain a share of the food that was being brought in by the water supply, e.g. copepoda, diatoms, and larve of invertebrates. The water was not filtered. It flowed into the box by a spout and out by the sieve bottom, the arrangement which is followed in hatching the eggs of plaice and cod. De ee ee eee re of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 67 The lobsters, immediately after being hatched, swam actively about, chasing copepoda and any small white particles moving in the water. The two species of copepods most common in the water were determined by Dr. Scott. A red copepod was Z'emera longicornis ; a white one was Eurytemera affinis. They were both small. During the zoéa stages, when the lobster is wholly pelagic, that is to say before the pereiopods function as walking legs, a period of, roughly, three weeks, it swims with its body bent in a quadrant shape, having the head and thorax lying horizontal, or inclined slightly downwards, and the abdomen and tail directed downwards, If it spies a copepod beneath it swims directly down for it in a circling, sort of corkscrew path, and follows up its prospective victim, when it escapes with a smart dart off for a distance of an inch or two. The pursuit may last for a little time, and now and then the lobster catches and devours the copepod. When the copepods are swimming above them they also detect them and swim directly for them. They also notice them when in front of them and on the same level. The copepods are to be seen on the side of the box, and the young lobsters go poking about the side after them. The larval lobster, when undisturbed, swims forward at a uniform speed by means of the exopodites of the pereiopods, turning sharply to this side or to that to seize any object that attracts its attention, and which it will pursue till it loses sight of it or has its attention distracted by another form. When surprised it jerks backward by means of its abdomen and telson, The young lobsters were usually close to the surface of the water. No food was provided regularly for them, except what was brought in with the water supply. On a few occasions a little of the liver of the crab (Cancer pagurus) was supplied them, They pursued the little white portions as they fell through the water, usually catching them before they reached the bottom. They ate up the live zoée of Cancer pagurus when these were poured into the box. While the lobster in the zoéa stages no doubt eats dead organisms, as Cunningham relates, it is much more active in the pursuit of living animals, It follows, from the fact of its pelagic existence, that it must feed on living forms. The lobsters were kept for varying periods. When set free they were mostly in the second and third stages ; some were in the first stage. A few were reared to the megalops stage on the food in the water supply. The total number set free was about 3000. They were distributed as follows :— August 6, 1902.—1000 larvee set free a little over 1 mile north of Fraserburgh. August 7, 1902,—1000 larvee set free about 3 mile off Cairnbulg August 19, 1902.—1000 larve set free about 3 mile off St. Comts. The fry were conveyed in large glass (sulphuric acid) carboys by rail to Fraserburgh. All the lobster fry (1000) were on each occasion stowed in one carboy. The number of fry in the first consignment was counted, and from that datum the numbers in the subsequent lots were deduced. No special cooling preparations were found to be necessary for the journey. Experiments were made to test the effect of a possible rise in the temperature of the water during the transportation. ‘The temperature of the sea-water in the hatchery was 12°5° C. A few lobster fry were put into a jar containing half-a-gallon (= 2 litre) of water. The jar was heated slowly until the water reached a temperature of 20° C; i¢ was then allowed to cool. Next day the lobsters were, with two exceptions, all lively ; two had succumbed. 68 Part I1].—Twenty-third Annual Report For the journey to Fraserburgh the larve were packed at 3.15 p.m., and were set free at 7.15 p.m., at which time they were all quite lively. The vitality of the young lobster under certain conditions is remark- able. Herrick kept them alive in small flat dishes, without change of the water, from one to four days at a time, or until they moulted to the second stage. A case in point occurred at the Laboratory. After one of the journeys to Fraserburgh a few larve had been left in the dregs of water in one of the carboys. They were discovered 10 days later, and were then alive and active. Two small crabs (Carcinus menas) were kept for a week in a little glass cell without change of water, and apparently suffered no ill-effects. There was a considerable mortality among the larval lobsters when in the hatchery. As has been so often noted, a proportion of the deaths occurred during moulting. The dead lobsters were sometimes partly eaten. No case was seen of one zoéa attacking and killing another, such as Herrick witnessed. A case of cannibalism was noticed in the megalops stage. One megalops was seen eating the tail of another which was still alive. The telson and part of the abdomen had been eaten off when discovered. A cause of considerable mortality is probably starva- tion. It is difficult to supply suitable and sufficient food. All the lobster eggs were hatched out by September 10, 1902. THE REARING OF LOBSTERS. There are two well-marked stages in the life of the lobster fry: these are (1) the first swimming stage, when just hatched (fig. 66, pl. iv.), and (2) the stage when it for the first time takes on the form, and, toa certain extent, also the habits, of the adult (fig. 72, pl. iv.). The former is the first zoéa stage, the latter is the megalops stage. Previous to the first zoéa stage there is the protozoéa, a stage of short duration. The lobster has been described as issuing from the egg as a protozoéa. This condition was not observed by the writer. It moults very soon after, and becomes a zoéa of the first stage. R. @. Couch was the first to figure and describe the protozoéa. He wrote as follows :—‘“‘Several of the ripest bunches of ova were taken off, and by gentle agitation many of the young escaped and swam about very freely, like those of the common crab, and some were artificially extracted to leave no doubt to rest on their parentage. Their bodies are large, stout, and of a deep blue colour, while the other parts are semi-transparent and dotted with red. The eyes are large, sessile, situated on a festoon at the lower and anterior margin of the dorsal shield, and marked at the circumference with radia- ting lines. The interior margin of the shield is waved, and irregularly prominent ; the posterior and lateral surfaces are more remarkably so, and are rough, with minute papillary eminences ; and the lower margin is marked with seven minute plaited folds, beneath the five central ones are situated five claws on either side. They are jointed as in the adult, and the anterior pair are shorter and stouter than the others, and ter- minate in a pair of nippers. The tail is longer than the diameter of the body, is extended and composed of five annulations. The termination is forked, but the fork is composed of two flat fan-like expansions separated by a fissure which extends nearly as high up as their articulation.” Saville Kent and Fullarton also give drawings and descriptions of this stage. The megalops stage is one in which the lobster in its habits resembles more a prawn (Palemon), as Saville Kent pointed out. The interval which exists between the first zoéa and the megalops has been filled in by a varying number of stages. Herrick, for the American lobster, of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 69 makes the period one of three zoéa stages, and between hatching and the arrival of the young at the megalops condition there elapses from eight to eighteen days. Saville Kent said that the European lobster reached the megalops stage at about the sixth cast, z.e. five stages precede it, viz. the protozoéa and four zoéa stages. A month or six weeks are occupied in arriving at the stage beyond the megalops, which I have denominated the first young stage. My own observations lead to the conclusion that the period just mentioned will very rarely be exceeded ; it is probably often as short as one month. Certain larve which were in the zoéa condition in October and November remained for five weeks in one stage, however. Sars illustrates three zoéa stages. Chadwick has published a descrip- tion of-the protozoéa, three zoéa stages, megalops, and first young stages. The time occupied by each stage, with the exception of the protuzoéa, is given as a week. Rathke says the maxillipedes and pereiopods have a general resem- blance to the legs of schizopods, viz., Mysis, but the resemblance is lost in the fifth pereiopod. In the denomination of the larval lobsters it has been customary, therefore, to refer to the early pelagic stage as the ‘‘mysis” stage. ‘This is due to the fact that its pereiopods resemble those of Mysis, in having setz-bearing exopodites. But this is an onto- genetic, not a phylogenetic, character, as the name is apt to imply. The main swimming organ of a zoéa is the exopodite, and the number of setose exopodites is directly proportional to the size of the larva. The little elongated zoéa of the shrimp (Crangon vulgaris) has three pairs of exopodites in its first stage, but its increase in bulk in the third zoéa stage demands additional swimming power, and a fourth pair of exopodites appear, viz. attached to the rudimentary first pereiopod.* In this case the exopodite is developed, and becomes functional in the third zoéa stage, whereas the chela becomes functional for the first time on the megalops stage, 2.e. the sixth larval stage. The exopodite of the chela at the same time vanishes, while the other exopodites, those of the maxillipedes, are reduced and function no longer for swimming. In the case of the lobster larva we have to deal with a large form, which requires a powerful swimming organ. That is secured by the development of the exopodites on the pereiopods, but with this difference from the shrimp, that the pereiopods themselves are also functionally developed —in the form of maxillipedes. The zoéa of the lobster is provided, then, with eight maxillipedes, each of which has a setose exopodite, On the arrival of this form at the megalops stage the latter disappear or are so reduced that they are no longer swimming organs. The quadrant shape in which the body of the zoéa is bent, by concentrating the weight of the animal, has a direct relation to its propelling organs. The tiny zoéa of Carcinus menas has only two pairs of exopodites. It is bent in an arc; thereby the weight is concentrated. There, appears, then to be no valid reason for departing from the term ‘‘zoéa” for this period of the life of the lobster. And the term “ mega- lops” is an appropriate name for the stage which is analogous as well as homologous to the megalops of the Brachyura. It is a transition stage between the zoéa and the adult. In this country the rearing of lobsters has been carried out by Saville Kent, Cunningham, Weldon, Fowler, and Chadwick. On the Continent Captain Danuevig has done the most extensive work in this subject ; lately Appellof has carried on rearing experiments. Many difficulties meet the experimenter in lobster-culture. Questions of the food, of the cannibalism of the larvee, and of the mortality which * Vide Williamson, 70 Part I1.-—Twenty-third Annual Report occurs during moulting all arise. Saville Kent kept the little lobsters in jars and fed them with a little minced fish; the water was changed every day. Receptacles on the intermittent syphon system were, he considered, especially well suited for lobster-rearing. Weldon and Fowler used for the food of the larve the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, crushed crab (Carcinus menas, Portunus depurator), boiled liver, the contents of the townet (at that period chiefly octiluca and copepoda), and live shrimp larva ; they were all partially, none abso- lutely, successful. Cunningham usually fed the larve with particles obtained by crushing and pounding common shore-crabs, but he made special and careful trials of live food. Living minute animals caught in the sea in the tow-net were introduced, but none of the larvae were seen to try to catch them. ‘Ihe fish larve and the larve of a shrimp were not attacked. But the fish larve and little shrimps, if killed before being put into the jar, were immediately seized. He concluded that the young lobsters are naturally carrion feeders, devourers of dead food, although inclined to cannibalism. Mead found that the fry fed upon all sorts of minute organisms (cope- pods, diatoms, etc.), and readily ate some kinds of flesh if it was chopped into fine pieces and kept suspended in the water, where they came in con- tact with it. The best food was the soft parts of clams (I/ya arenaria.) Chadwick fed the lobster fry “‘ daily upon the finely-minced liver of the shore-crab (Carcinus menas), and the edible crab (Cancer pagurus), and for a time they appeared to thrive on it, but at the time of the ecdyses or shell-castings many died, and comparatively few reached the ‘ lobster- ling ’ [megalops] stage.” Appelléf reared the young lobster over the larval stages till the age, in one case, of seven months. A great mortality occurred owing to the inability of the larve to get rid of the integument when moulting. According to this zoologist, as soon as the third casting has passed, and it has reached the fourth stage [megalops], it swims, but soon goes to the bottom, and behaves like an adult. In the fifth stage the swimming power goes ; they are then very sedentary. Herrick describes a variety of food which he found in the stomachs of lobster larvae, viz. (1) diatoms in abundance, chiefly Vavicula and the long tangled ribbons of Yabellaria ; (2) remains of crustacea, probably parts of young lobsters; (3) bacteria in large numbers; (4) cotton and linen fibres, and parts of alge. ‘‘The food of the larval lobster must necessarily consist, for. the most part, of minute pelagic organisms, such as copepods and crustacean larve. When watched in confinement they may now and then be seen giving chase to copepods, often without success. The young lobster, however, shows little discrimination in its food. It seems to snap up almost any moving object, living or dead, which it is able to seize and swallow.” Herrick has stated that one difficulty arises in raising the young of the lobster in close quarters, from the fact that the young invariably preferred to feed on one another. The death-rate was, however, he considers, due in part to other causes, In this connection, an extract from the Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission, vol. xvii., 1897, p. 135, is interesting :—‘ During the spring and summer particular attention was paid to the food, habits, and growth of the young lobster, and mutch valuable information was obtained at Wood’s Hole, where extensive experiments were conducted on the holding of fry during the larval stages. The experiments indicate that, under natural conditions, the young lobster is much less a cannibal than has been believed, eating his fellows only when natural food is not available.” of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 71 LARV GENERAL DESCRIPTION. The zoée are beautifully coloured in two preduminant tints. On the dorsum, in the gastric region, the double luminous blue spot is con- spicuous. Then generally all over they are pigmented blue on the dorsum of the thorax and abdomen, and yellow or red on the sides, Certain zoée, which to the naked eye have a slight bluish colouration, are seen, on examination with transmitted light, to have a great quantity of yellow pigment all over the body, the carapace, abdomen, and limbs, with the dorsum of the thorax and of the abdomen blue. Others are to the naked eye brilliantly coloured with dark red, which is seen by means of the microscope to be distributed similarly to the yellow in the zoée just described. There are different shades of yellow: some lighter, others darker. Occasionally the colouration shows to the naked eye a mixture of red with bluish purple. In 1904 most of the lobster zoée were red, but others were green, showing no red to the naked eye. Some were of a very pale green. The young lobster, while it is still a zoéa, is, from its pelagic existence during a period of at least three weeks, exposed to many dangers. Its helpless condition, combined with its fairly large size, and conspicuous colouration, will, no doubt, result in its extensive destruction. Its life near the surface of the water will, however, give it, on the whole, probably a better chance of escape from small fishes than if it were swimming close to the bottom. While it is a zoéa the lobster swims with its head bent downwards, and it attacks the food usually from above. It sees a white piece of the liver of the crab (Cancer pagurus) falling a good bit below it, and swims down in a spiral till it reaches it. It, however, chases copepods on a level with it, and also below it. When it is about to cast it seeks the bottom of the box. Some which were put into a glass tank kept boring away at the bottom in an endeavour to get down out of the strong light apparently. The keen sight of the zoéa is a remarkable contrast to the purblind condition of the adult lobster. In the megalops stage the young lobster for the first time crawls. It also swims, but now it swims forwards by means of its pleopods, with the two long chelz held extended straight in front, in this way protecting its rostrum from any rude shock which collision with an object might produce. It also swims and floats in a manner similar to that known as “treading water,” when it tries to grasp anything near the surface, and it turns round on its long axis after copepods at the surface of the water. It can also dart backwards by means of a rapid stroke of its telson, after the manner of the adult, but this in both stages usually follows surprise, and is adopted for escape. It sinks whenever it ceases using its swim- merets or telson. The megalops swims more than the later stages. It seems to support itself more easily in the water than they do. Its method of swimming is by means of its pleopods, that of a Crangon or Palemon. In this stage the antenne are short, and their length seems to vary a little in different individuals. Certain megalopa have antenne which reach just in front of the tip of the chela when it is stretched straight out alongside the rostrum. Others have much shorter antenne, The setose exopodites are only present in some of the examples of this stage. The megalops is the homologue of the sixth stage of Crangon vulgaris, in that it has practically the adult characters, save for its very short antenne, It crawls about on the bottom of the box, and resists any wave 72 Part I11.—Twenty-third Annual Report motion of the water which would tend to float it away. It clings with all its pereiopods to the silk cloth of the bottom until the wave motion ceases, when it starts crawling again. Immediately the box is agitated, again it halts and holds on. In its ability to notice particles of food, the megalops appears to be as keen-sighted as the zoéa. Mead contrasts the habits of the zoéa and megalops. The next, that is the first young stage, swims about after copepods, and is to be seen swimming forward with the two chele extended together straight in front. The antenne of this stage are longer than in the megalops, and the following stage has still longer antenne. The stages subsequent to the megalops are even more difficult to distodge from the corner of the box. They cling tenaciously to the bottom (silk gauze) until the water is withdrawn and they are left stranded, Then they loose their hold to follow up the water. This fact probably accounts for these stages never being met with in the tow-net. They are really bottom forms, and in shallow water would require to be able to stick well to stones or in crevices to prevent their being washed away. A young form will sometimes swim round the edge of the box with the off antenna stretched out in front and the near one thrown back along the body. Appellof remarks regarding the first young stage that they hide in dark corners or under stones. They are then very stationary. He draws attention to the great caution shown by the young lobster, and considers that, in consequence of that trait, a relatively large percentage of them should survive, On the approach of winter the little lobsters in the Laboratory became very sluggish. In November and December 1902 they were rarely seen, except when the boxes were lifted. They stuck to the darkest corner of the box, and did not move about so much as they did earlier in the year. During these months there were hardly any copepods in the water supply, and this may have had something to do with their sluggishuess. The increasing cold was, however, doubtless the main predisposing cause of their inactivity. One of the most noticeable features that accompanies the transition from the zoéa to the megalops is the sudden change in the character of the animal. The zoéa swims about in an aimless way, except for the moments when it pursues a copepod. It paddles persistently, and when it strikes against the side of the box it jerks away quickly. It is not disturbed by noticing anything ; all it appears to see is the little particles of food. It evidently sees short distances only. The main point is its indifference to possible danger ; it does not attempt in any way to conceal itself. In the zoéa stage the lobster had no fear or premonition; in the megalops, it assumes with the adult garb the haunting fear of attack, which leads it to hide itself in some protecting crevice. It comes to rest in the darkest corner of the box, and while swimming about is always on the alert for a possible foe. For everything, food and pro- tection, it has to be completely self-dependent. The desire to hide appeared with the necessity. The bottom life is, without doubt, a dangerous one, possibly more so than the pelagic existence it had just passed through. Its eye still enables it to pick up copepods ; it is large, as in all the early stages of decopod crustacea. It no longer swims aimlessly about, but simply occasionally on a foraging expedition. All the larvze ate crab’s liver, and hunt it by sight as it falls. And in the case of the megalops, when a little crabs’ liver was introduced into the box, the lobster became very excited and rushed hither and thither, of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 73 following the scent dispersed by the current of water flowing through the box. One little lobster took up its abode for a day or two in a Purpura shell which lay on the sand that covered the bottom of the aquarium, but when it attracted attention, it had excavated in the sand a hole below the shell, and in it it lay. The hole was deep to the front, and was a neat fit. The lobster pushed out a quantity of sand, two armsfull, in front of it, and removed larger grains of sand and a little piece of debris with its maxillipedes. When returning from a promenade round its prison it carefully tested its lair before it backed into it. It was alone in the aquarium. Now this lobster did not imitate an adult or any other young lobster in taking up its abode in the shell, or in digging a cave in the sand. When food was tumbled in it seemed to resent its approach. It appeared to be attracted by the scent at first, and then it put some fresh mussel that tumbled into its cavity out of the hole, while some mussel that was apparently old was left in. It was noticed that the mussel stuck to the pereiopods. Another little lobster, in its wandering about among the sand and mud, got its pereiopods and maxillipedes covered with fine debris which, no doubt, consisted, in considerable part, of diatoms. It was observed to pick off the debris and put it into its mouth. Sometimes the mud in the aquarium was all punctuated as if it had been probed all over with the legs of the lobster. THE LarRvaAL STAGES. In the lobster the zoéa is a much more specialised organism than in certain of the other decapod crustacea, e.g. Crangon and Carcinus. One important respect in which the former differs from the two latter is in the possession of functional gills. The presence of the gills determines the form of the appendages concerned in the respiratory function, viz. the second maxilla, and the maxillipedes which are employed in securing a circulation of water through the branchial chamber. The gills and their arrangement being very nearly similar to the condition in the adult, it follows that the function of the appendages is that which they perform in the adult, and their form is therefore practically that cf the adult. In Crangon and Carcinus the maxillipedes have no respiratory function to perform in the zoéa ; they and the second maxilla are in form quite dissimilar from the adult condition. The adult form of these appendages are similar but not identical in the lobster and Crangon. The stages which will now be described have not been determined by following a lobster in its successive moults. They have been dis- criminated from the general collection of larvee which were developing in the hatchery. In the case of the higher stages, e.g. last zoéa stage, megalops, first and second young stages, the casts connecting adjacent stages were observed. During the research it was found necessary to redissect this form which has already been treated by Sars and others, while the American species has been worked out by Smith and Herrick in elaborate detail, and profusion of drawings. The drawing in the present case represents the condition found in the appendage examined. The opportunity did not occur to dissect several zoée of the same stage with a view to determine the variation in each limb, and from that to fix the normal condition. When a comparison has been instituted between the limbs of different zoéz, variation in the hair at Sera and in the nature of the hairs themselves, has been noted, 74 Port I11.—Twenty-third Annual Report In the sketch the exact number and arrangement of the hairs, &c., has been attempted, except in the case of figs. 7 and 16, and the draw- ings of the protopodite joints. The exact number of sete is not introduced on the exopodites, pleopods, uropods, or, in certain cases, on the telson. In the drawings of the complete larva the pereiopods are represented semi-diagrammatically. THe APPENDAGES OF THE First Zoka. The appendages present in the first zoéa stage are—(1) the Eyes ; (2) Antennules ; (3) Antenne ; (4) Mandibles ; (5) First Maxille ; (6) Second Maxille ; (7) First Maxillipedes; (8) Second Maxillipedes; (9) Third Maxillipedes ; (10) First Pereiopods ; (11) Second Pereiopods ; (12) Third Pereiopods ; (13) Fourth Pereiopods ; (14) Fifth Pereiopods. It possesses all the cephalic and thoracic appendages which the adult has. The telson is triangular, The pleopods and uropods are not yet developed, A detailed description is not necessary ; in addition to the drawing of each appendage, short notes will be merely added here. EygE, 0., fig. 4, pl. i. The eye is large, and has a very short stalk. ANTENNULE, @., fig. 2, 7b. The antennule is crowned with three esthetascs, one of which is specially large, and two hairs. A minute hair was found at the base of the