OVA OF CODFISH. 3 



several naturalists sat, met at some of our fishing 

 ports, and took evidence from fishermen and others 

 as to whether trawling did not do much harm, by 

 breaking up the sea bed where the ova of fish had 

 been deposited. The idea then was that the cod and 

 whiting two of the most abundant of our native 

 food-fishes deposited their eggs on the sea floor. 

 Professor Sars, the well-known Danish naturalist, had 

 expressed his opinion that the ova of these fish floated 

 on the surface ; but it was first substantiated in the 

 Brighton Aquarium, where it was found that the ova 

 both of these fish and the mackerel, floated on the 

 surface during the entire period of their development. 

 Had it not been for this discovery, it is more than 

 likely that by this time the fishing trade, as well as 

 the fish supply, would have been crippled by a law 

 which would have restrained trawling operations 

 over cod grounds during the whole of the spawning 

 season. 



Mr. Saville-Kent, at the Manchester Aquarium, 

 has contributed towards the history of the common 

 herring, from its young state. Dr. Gunther, the well- 

 known ichthyologist, had already declared his belief 

 that by far the greater part of " whitebait" consisted 

 of the fry of herrings.* If this is so, then, in con- 

 suming them so recklessly, we are interfering with 

 the chief fish-food of the common people. Mr. Lloyd 



* Dr. Gunther affirmed that Clupea alba, or whitebait, was the young 

 of Clupea harengits, or the common herring. 



B 2 



