21 



condition of the fish caiigjht. Tliis work was continued 

 practically till the end of May, when the spawning season 

 had finished. 



With the exception of a few eggs obtained by the tow- 

 nets from the surface of the sea, no fertilised eggs were 

 secured until the end of February. From that time 

 onwards to the end of the spawning season eggs in various 

 quantities, from a few thousands to nearly four millions 

 on some occasions, were collected. The total number 

 landed during the season was just a little over nine 

 millions. Owing, however, to their unripe condition more 

 than half of these 9 millions were unfertilised or otherwise 

 unsuitable for incubation. These were, therefore, rejected, 

 leaving about four millions fit to incubate in the boxes. 

 As in the previous season, the Fishery Board for Scotland 

 kindly allowed the steamer to trawl for a few days, for 

 scientific purposes, in the closed waters of the Firth of 

 Clyde, and it was there, on February 28th, that the first 

 fertilised eggs were collected. They were taken from plaice. 

 A small lot of cod and another lot of witch eggs were also 

 collected at the same time, but these were not fertilised. 

 On March 10th, 14th, 16th, 17th, and 23rd, and on April 

 6th and 12th, supplies of cod, haddock, plaice, and flounder 

 eggs were collected from fish caught by the trawlers work- 

 ing on the off-shore grounds. On April 28th another small 

 supply was obtained from the Clyde. 



The incubation of the various lots of eggs, after the 

 unsuitable ones had been removed, proceeded satisfactorily. 

 The plaice eggs collected in the Clyde on February 28th 

 began to hatch out on March 17th. Four days later 

 113,000 fry from these eggs were set free from the steamer 

 near the Morecambe Bay Light Vessel. On the morning 

 of March 31st, 2,751,660 fry, comprising cod, haddock, 

 plaice, and flounders were set free, about eight miles from 



