9 
‘‘ WEMORANDUM sent to the Chairman of the Lancashire 
Sea-Fisheries Committee, for the use of the Scientific 
Sub-Committee, by Prof. W. A. Herdman, in October, 
1897, on an 
“OUTLINE SCHEME OF WORK FOR THE PIEL SEA-FISH 
HATCHERY. 
“T think that the Institution at Piel, although it may 
serve several useful purposes, ought to be regarded as 
primarily for the hatching of sea-fish and Lobster eggs, 
and for experiments upon the further rearing of young 
sea-fish and upon the life history of shell-fish. That is, 
the ECONOMIC work ought to be regarded as of first-rate 
importance, and nothing else ought to be allowed to 
interfere with it. Mr. Scott ought to be instructed to 
give his whole attention to making the hatching and 
rearing a success. In my visit to America this summer, 
I made a careful study of the methods of the United States 
Fish Commission, at their two celebrated Hatcheries, at 
Woods Holl and at Gloucester. In each case the Insti- 
tution is under the charge of a resident ‘‘ Superintendent,”’ 
who gives his whole time and attention to making the 
hatching and rearing a practical success. These men try 
to perfect every little detail of the cheese cloth in the 
hatching boxes, of the jets of water, of the cleansing of 
the boxes, the removal of dead ova, of the distribution of 
the fry, and so on—the little details upon which the 
economic results depend. Research and teaching are left 
entirely in other hands, and are carried on for the most 
part in other Institutions, such as the Biological Labor- 
atory at Woods Holl and the Central Institution in 
Washington. 
‘IT would propose, however, that the Piel Hatchery be 
