In  the  report  for  1917  of  the  Lancashire  Sea  Fisheries
Laboratory  (pp.  60-68)  reference  was  made  to  a  series  of
experimental  hauls  made  by  trawl  nets  having  meshes  of
J  and  1J  inch  (measured  from  knot  to  knot).  These  experi-
ments were  made  by  the  local  fisheries  officer,  Mr.  G.  Eccles,
a  highly  experienced  fisherman,  during  the  years  1892  to  the
present  time.  They  are  strictly  comparable  with  each  other,
having  all  been  made  by  the  same  person,  and  in  the  same
way,  and  they  form  a  very  interesting  series  of  data.  In  the
present  paper  the  results  are  considered  more  fully,  and  the
years  1918  and  1919  are  included.
Unfortunately,  the  records  for  the  three  years  1898-1900
for  the  fish  trawl  experiments  have  been  lost ;  there  is,  how-
ever, no  doubt  as  to  the  tendency  of  the  data  during  the  period
in  question.
Table  I  gives  the  actual  data  relating  to  the  fish  trawl
experiments,  every  haul  being  recorded  in  the  order  in  which
it  was  made.  The  column  "  plaice  per  haul  "  gives  the  actual
numbers  caught  during  the  time  ("  hours ")  stated  in  the
adjoining  column.  Thus  for  the  year  1892,  0  plaice  were
caught  in  a  haul  of  1  hour's  duration,  88  in  a  haul  of  f  hour,
20  plaice  in  a  haul  of  f  hour,  and  so  on.  At  the  foot  of  each
column  is  given  the  total  number  of  plaice  caught  in  all  the
hauls  made  during  the  year,  the  total  number  of  hours  spent
in  making  the  hauls,  and  the  average  catch  of  plaice  per
hour's  fishing.
Table  II  is  arranged  in  a  similar  way,  and  gives  the
records  for  the  experimental  hauls  made  with  the  shrimp
trawl,  that  is  with  the  mesh  of  J  inch.
