31 
THe Fish HatcHery at PIs. 
By ANDREW SCOTT. 
In last year’s Report, p. 25, it is stated that white flukes 
were being collected and kept in the tanks at Piel in the 
hope of their spawning in the spring. Before the end of 
January 150 fish had been placed in the tanks. The 
ratio of the sexes was three females to two males. The 
fish were all collected in Barrow Channel by the local 
police boat in charge of Mr. Wright. 
The fish thus collected, owing to unforeseen circum- 
stances, proved to be the main source from which the 
egos were obtained for incubation during the spawning 
season of 1900. The rough weather which prevailed 
in the earlier part of the year, along with the necessary 
arrangements for the sale of the steamer, which took place 
in the middle of the spawning season, prevented the 
steamer from doing very much to help in collecting eggs 
at sea or from the trawlers. 
In the earlier part of the year, however, the steamer 
made a number of visits to the spawning grounds. On 
three occasions eggs were obtained, twice from the Clyde 
and once from fish caught by the trawlers working on 
the offshore grounds. The first eggs, collected from fish 
caught in the Clyde, March 12th-16th, were practically 
all lost through the rough weather encountered on the 
homeward journey. The second lot, also from the Clyde, 
arrived on March 28th in much better condition, and 
yielded good results. The third lot, from the offshore 
grounds, collected April 5th to 6th, were equally satis- 
factory. Altogether 2,454,800 fry were hatched and set 
free from the eggs collected by the steamer. A number 
of nearly ripe plaice were brought from the Clyde on the 
first visit. Some of these spawned in our tanks, vielding 
an additional 65,000 fry. 
