RECENT HEPORTS OF FISHERY AtJTHORlTlES. 373 



Bay, which are destitute of spawning-grounds, will have little or no 

 permanent effect in increasing the abundance of the important food- 

 fishes, and especially the flat-fishes, within thera. The other, which, 

 although highly probable, has not yet been actually demonstrated by 

 experiment, is that protection of the offshore spawning-grounds for 

 certain periods is the most likely method of increasing the abundance 

 of the fishes in the inshore waters. In completion of the experiments 

 in the Firth of Forth and St. Andrews Bay, it would be desirable if 

 a part at least of the offshore waters from which the supplies of floating 

 eggs and larva3 to these areas are drawn were closed duriug the 

 spawning season. It would then be possible to ascertain, by comparison 

 of the results with those already obtained, to what extent protection 

 of spawning areas will lead to an increase in the fish supply within the 

 territorial waters. The extent and situation of the offshore areas which 

 stand in this direct and close relationship to a given portion of the 

 territorial waters have not yet been satisfactorily determined ; but 

 experiments are now being made to clear up this point." 



The Dunbar Hatchery. — Mr. Harald Dannevig gives an account of 

 the working of the Marine Hatchery at Dunbar during 1895. Three 

 species, the turbot, the lemon sole, and the plaice, were dealt with. As 

 in previous years, the great difficulty has been in obtaining a sufficient 

 supply of spawning fish in a healthy condition. In the case of the 

 turbot, the supply consisted of thirty- four fish, which had to be 

 brought to Dunbar from Girvan on the west coast, and no natural 

 spawning took place. Eggs were, however, pressed from the ripe fish 

 and successfully fertilised. About 3,800,000 larval turbot were hatched 

 and distributed in the neighbourhood of Dunbar. 



Less difficulty was experienced with the lemon soles, which, when 

 they reached the hatchery uninjured, spawned naturally. About 

 4,480,000 fertilised eggs were obtained duriug the season from a stock of 

 sixty-eight healthy fish, and from these 4,145,000 larvae were successfully 

 hatched out and distributed in the local waters and westwards as far as 

 the Bass Hock, the loss of eggs during development being thus only 7"5 

 per cent. 



In the case of the plaice again it was found necessary, in order 

 to ensure a good supply of eggs, to press them from the ripe females 

 and artificially fertilise. In this way 14,970,000 eggs were obtained, 

 and from them 11,350,000 larvfc were hatched. About 7,000,000 of 

 these larva) were distributed in the North Sea in the neighbourhood of 

 Dunbar. It was considered advisable, however, to test, if possible, the 

 effect produced by thus placing large numbers of newly-hatched larviu 

 in the sea, and in order to do this it was determined to attempt to 

 place them in a more or less confined area. For this purpose Loch 



