REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 649 



the same stations which had been explored by the Danish vessel TJior 

 six weeks earlier. The comparison of results revealed certain changes 

 in the distribution of fish in the interval, which were further investi- 

 gated with definite and interesting results. 



2. The system of fishermen's records has been put into execution 

 first of all at the port of Lowestoft, where a limited number of sailing 

 trawlers and of steam trawlers belonging to Messrs. Hewett's tieet 

 have been rendering returns since April last. The fishermen employed 

 have shown great interest in the work, and carried it out very 

 satisfactorily. The numbers of boats engaged will be gradually ex- 

 tended to the numbers mentioned in the programme. 



3. Plaice have been marked and liberated in various parts of the 

 area south of the latitude of Bridlington. In November and December 

 last the first experiments were made on the grounds where small flat- 

 fish congregate west of the Borkum Eeef, and the results obtained are 

 already of great interest and importance. They indicate that during 

 December and January there was a marked migration southwards and 

 westwards of the small plaice previously congregated on the inshore 

 grounds of the northern and western coasts of Holland, the distances 

 travelled being in many cases quite unprecedented, viz. from one 

 hundred to one hundred and sixty miles in six weeks or two months. 

 Over ten per cent, of the fish liberated have already been recovered. 

 Although it is not proposed to draw conclusions at the present stage 

 of the inquiry, these results already suggest that the supply of flat-fish 

 in the southern part of the North Sea, as far south as the Thames 

 estuary, is maintained to some extent by immigrations of small fish 

 from the " nurseries " off the north coast of Holland. 



4. The appointment of the Senior Fishery Assistant at the Lowestoft 

 Laboratory to be Biological Assistant at the Central Bureau in 

 Copenhagen has somewhat retarded the progress of the special in- 

 vestigations, since the time of the Chief Naturalist has been mainly 

 spent in organising the work at sea which has been sketched out 

 above. No time, however, will be lost in developing this branch of 

 the work. 



5. The investigation of fish eggs will not be commenced until the 

 next breeding season. During a recent visit of the HiLclcy to Heligo- 

 land for this purpose, Drs. Heincke and Ehrenbaum joined Mr. Garstang 

 for a day's fishing, and demonstrated their appliances for this part of 

 the work. Uniform apparatus is now being prepared for next season's 

 investigations. 



6. Special assistants are being trained for the work in the markets, 

 but have not yet begun operations away from Lowestoft. 



