FISHERY BOARD FOR SCOTLAND. 85 



The Crustacea (found in 53 per cent, of the stomaclis) were almost 

 wholly confined to shrimps and prawns^ but they were not quite so 

 abundant as the small fish (in 57 per cent.)^ chiefly young cod and 

 haddocks and sprats. The above papers contain a large number of 

 Tables giving full details. 



The food of young cod and saith (which were found frequenting 

 the Zostera-heds in Loch Fyne in enormous numbers) was investigated. 

 In the case of the young cods — measuring from one and a quarter 

 to three inches in length — the smaller specimens contained almost 

 nothing but Copepods, and the larger ones also Amphipods^ Mysidae 

 and Isopods. The stomachs of the young saith (two and a half to 

 five inches long) contained Copepods, Sagittse, young Gasteropods, 

 AmphipodSj Schizopods, and Isopods. 



In the Report for 1884 there is a paper by Professor Ewart 

 and Mr. Brook on the Spawning of the Cod^ in which an account 

 is given of the natural process as observed in the tanks at the 

 Rothesay Aquarium^ and of experiments which were conducted in 

 artificial fertilization. It appears that the process of spawning 

 occurs chiefly at dusk and in the early morning, the spawn being 

 shed while the fish are freely swimming about, and fertilized as they 

 rise towards the surface. 



Tables giving the Spawning Period of the British Food-fishes, 

 compiled by Mr. Brook from various sources, will be found in the 

 Report for 1885 ;t and an account of the Spawning of the Pike, 

 by the same author, in the Report for 1886. J 



The Artificial Hatching and Rearing of Sea-fish, is dealt with by 

 Professor Ewart in a paper in the Report for 1886. § The funda- 

 mental problems connected with this subject are discussed in the 

 light of the knowledge acquired by the culture of the Salmonidse, 

 and the operations which have been carried on in the United States, 

 Norway, and Germany, in the cultivation of edible fish. Various 

 apparatus for the hatching and rearing processes are described and 

 figured ; and it is pointed out that by systematic hatching and rearing 

 of marine forms, such as the more important flat-fishes, lobsters, &c., 

 a great deal might be done to recruit the inshore fisheries. Pro- 

 fessor Ewart also contributed a Report on the Progress of Fish 

 Culture in America to the Report for 1884, || which contains a full 

 account, based upon personal observation, of the methods adopted 

 in the United States and of the results accomplished up to 1884. 



* Third Report, pp. 52—55, 1885. 



t Fourth Report, pp. 242—254, 1886. 



X Fifth Report, pp. 347—349, 1887. 



§ Op. cit., pp. 230—244, pis. vii— x, 1887. 



II Third Report, pp. 78—91, 1885. 



