2 
bearing of the statistics as to the distribution of fish 
collected by Mr. Dawson on board the steamer. A fuller 
discussion of these results can only take place after the 
accumulation of further statistics extending over a couple 
of years. The report ends with a note on Lobster hatch- 
ing; and an Appendix on the methods of Oyster and 
Mussel culture adopted in France, illustrated by three 
plates. 
THE Foop or YounG FISHEs. 
One of the objects we have set before us has been to 
determine what the fish feed upon in our district at all 
stages of their lives, and so we have taken any opportunities 
that offered of examining, small individuals. When this 
investigation has been extended, as we hope to extend it 
during next spring and summer, to still younger stages 
including larval and young post-larval forms it may have 
the practical value of enabling us to succeed in finding 
suitable organisms, such as certain Diatoms and Copepoda, 
upon which young fish hatched artificially may be reared 
through the earlier and more critical stages of their 
life-history. 
As a matter of fact we have already made during this 
last summer at the aquarium of the Port Erin Biological 
Station some experiments in breeding Copepoda in tanks, 
and I see no reason to doubt that we could cultivate at 
least some species in large quantities if required. In one 
of our aquaria we have had now for six months enormous 
swarms of Idya furcata, and in another we have quantities 
of Harpacticus fulvus which are reproducing freely. The 
Harpacticide seem on the whole to be the easiest to 
cultivate, and it is consequently important to notice that 
in the young Plaice we have examined, by far the most 
important constituent of the food seems to be the Har- 
