416 director's report. 



University table. Mr. S. D. Scott, of King's College, Cambridge, is 

 temporarily assisting me to carry on the fishery investigations. The work 

 on the east coast, commenced by Mr. Holt and subsequently continued 

 by Mr. Cunningham, has now ceased owing to lack of the necessary 

 funds for its maintenance. 



The experimental trawling in the bays on the Devonshire coast has 

 been continued during the autumn and winter. The results of the 

 trawlings in January show clearly, as was to have been expected, that 

 the larger plaice have left, probably for the spawning grounds, whilst 

 the fish from the estuaries and from close inshore have come out into 

 the bays. Thus in Teignmouth Bay, whereas in October and December 

 4 per cent, only of the plaice were 7 inches and under, in January the 

 proportion at this size and under had increased to 32 per cent. 



In connection with studies on the distribution of fish eggs, larvre, 

 and young fish, a series of experiments has been started for determining 

 the surface drift in the western portion of the English Channel by 

 means of floating bottles. The experiments are similar to those which 

 have been made by l*rof. Herdman in the Irish Sea, and by the Scottish 

 Fishery Board in the North Sea ; but we have adopted a bottle of 

 somewhat larger size, in order to counteract as much as possible the 

 direct action of the wind upon the bottle itself. Ordinary egg- 

 shaped soda-water bottles are being used, weighted with shot in such a 

 way that the bottle floats vertically, the shot being kept in place by 

 being imbedded in solid paraffin. The thanks of the Association are 

 due to Admiral the Hon, Sir E. E. Fremantle, Commander-in-Chief at 

 Devonport, who has kindly arranged for bottles to be put overboard by 

 the torpedo-boat destroyers cruising in the neighbourhood. This will 

 enable us to carry out the experiments in a much more satisfactory 

 way than would otherwise have been possible. Owing to the rugged 

 nature of the coast, I do not anticipate that we shall recover so large a 

 percentage of the bottles as was the case in Prof Herdman's and the 

 Scottish experiments, 



Witli a view to obtaining information as to the distribution of marine 

 plankton, a scheme has been arranged to endeavour to co-ordinate the 

 work of the many naturalists who frequently make use of the tow-net 

 around the British coasts. A further account of this will be found on 

 p. 408. 



The dredging and trawling work on the grounds between the Eddy- 

 stone and Start Point was continued during last summer, and the results 

 of about seventy hauls have been worked out. It is hoped that the 

 results of this work, which has been carried on regularly for two 

 summers, will shortly be ready for publication. 



In promising to place on the estimates for the year 1897-98 the 



