Report on the Investigations carried on in 1898 in 

 connection with the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries 

 Laboratory at University College, Liverpool, and 

 the Sea-Fish Hatchery at Piel, near Barrow. 



Drawn up by Professor W. A. Herdman, F.R.S., Honorary 

 Director of the Scientific Work ; assisted by Mr. Andrew 

 Scott, Eesident Fisheries Assistant at Piel, and Mr. 

 James Johnstone, Fisheries Assistant at Liverpool. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Fish Hatching Work at Piel 12 



Observations on Leptocephalus ...... 17 



Observations on Habits and Food of Young Fishes - - 22 



The Plankton Work 2.5 



Experiments with Weighted Drift Bottles - - . - 30 



The Spawning of the Mussel 36 



On Sea-Fish Hatching ....... 54 



Oysters and Disease 62 



Iron and Copper in Oysters 67 



Mussel Beds and Mud Banks 79 



Report from Messrs. Keeble and Gamble on Work done at Piel 81 



Appendix : — Laboratory Regulations at Piel - - - - 86 



Introduction. 

 This is the first complete year of Mr. Scott's work at the 

 Piel Hatchery and of Mr. Johnstone's work at the 

 Liverpool Laboratory, and a glance merely at the above 

 table of contents will show the extent and variety of the 

 investigations that have been undertaken. 



Mr. Scott's work has been in the main economic — the 

 hatching of eggs of marketable fisiies and the improve- 

 ment of apparatus and fittings so as to carry on such 

 work more efficiently in the future. He has also, however, 

 examined many tow-net gatherings and other samples of 

 the organisms in the waters and on the shores of our 

 district, and has carried out a further series of experi- 



