MAEINE BIOLOGICAL STATION ON PUFFIN ISLAND. 31 



I have in many cases simplified the wording of the 

 answers, and have left out some irrelevant remarks. The 

 Crosby fishermen complain bitterly of the prejudicial effect 

 of the Liverpool refuse boats upon their industry, and 

 declare that these boats discharge their rubbish much 

 nearer the shore than they are permitted by law. 



It will be noticed from the answers* to the first question 

 that the shrimps are more plentiful on the fishing grounds 

 in summer and autumn than in winter and spring, and 

 there seems to be abundance of evidence that they are 

 directly affected by the weather. In cold or very stormy 

 weather they are said to bury themselves deep in the sand, 

 and several of my correspondents mention having disin- 

 terred them when raking for cockles at a depth of more 

 than a foot in the sand. The prawns also disappear in 

 cold weather, but whether they burrow is doubtful as they 

 live on *'hard" ground. 



There seems to be a general belief that shrimps spawn 

 all the year round, and I have no doubt tliat out of a great 

 many shrimps some few may be found with spawn at any 

 time, but from the answers to question 4 in the table it 

 is evident that late winter and spring are the spaw^ning 

 times in this neighbourhood. Then nearly all the speci- 

 mens taken are large and full of spawn, while in summer 

 and autumn "fry" and immature forms make their ap- 

 pearance in quantity, and individuals with spawn are few 

 or absent. 



Many of the answers in regard to the food and the 

 enemies of the shrimp were " don't know" and " cannot 

 tell." The greater part of the positive evidence is that 

 they feed upon " shore worms" in '' sand pipes" (or their 



* The standard of a good catch appears to vary somewliat with the locality 

 and the time. What is considered "plentiful" at one time is returned as 

 scarcity in another month. 



