of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



69 



The temperature of the water from the beach varied in January from 

 37-4° F. to 44-6° F., the average being 40-5° F. ; the temperature in the 

 pond was lower, ranging from 4'2° F. to 40*6° F., the mean being 37*3° F. ; 

 while in the hatchery it was intermediate. The particulars in regard to 

 the avei'age temperatures (in Fahrenheit degrees) in each month are as 

 follows : — 



The water in the pond was thus colder in each month than that obtained 

 direct from the beach, while that in the hatching boxes is, as a rule, inter- 

 mediate in temperature. The lowest reading throughout the season was 

 36-7° F. for the pond, as compared with 32° F. on several occasions in the 

 previous year; 37*8° F. for the hatchery and 37"4° F. for the beach. 

 During several days in the latter part of April the temperature was 

 unusually low, sinking to below 39° F. in the hatching boxes. 



Owing to frequent storms, difficulty was sometimes occasioned in filtering 

 the water thoroughly, and a slight modification was made so as to allow of 

 the water running from the hatchery to be used again when the water on 

 the beach was more than commonly turbid. This was done by interposing 

 a concrete sink in the course of the outflow from the hatchery to the large 

 spawning- pond, and joining up with it some lengths of fireclay pipe ter- 

 minating in the filter-chamber. By means of vrooden plugs the water 

 leaving the hatchery could thus be directed at will either to the spawning- 

 pond (and thence to the sea), its usual course, or to the filter-chamber, 

 whence it could be again pumped to tlie gravitation tank from which the 

 hatching apparatus are supplied. To this change, as well as to an alteration 

 in the pipes passing from the filtering boxes, by which an additional "head" 

 of about 17 inches was secured, is to be attributed the lowered mortality 

 among the eggs in the process of incubation. A considerably stronger 

 current was obtained and also cleaner water. 



The first larvae to be hatched out appeared on 7th February; and 

 altogether, during the season, 12,296,000 fry were produced. These were 

 put into the sea in eight lots between 19th February and 28th May. The 

 first and the last lots, amounting in all to about 840,000, were distributed 

 in the local waters at a distance of a mile or so from Girdleness. All the 

 others, in quantities from nearly a million to over three millions, were 

 distributed in the waters in the neighbourhood of Fraserburgh and Kinnaird 

 Head, being taken thither in large carboys by rail and put away by means 

 of fishing-boats at distances between 1| and 2| miles from land. The 

 reason for this was twofold. The fishermen on the coast of Aberdeen have 

 on several occasions petitioned that fry might be placed in the waters in 

 their neighbourhood, in the belief that to do so is advantageous to them in 

 their fishing. The second reason is that, owing to the movement of the 

 current down the coast (southwards and eastwards), it is a very good locality 

 for the liberation of the fry. In 'making the arrangements necessaiy Mr. 

 W. J. Caird, of Sandhaven, rendered much assistance on all occasions, the 

 fry being taken north under the charge of Mr. G. Walker, the hatchery 



