Eeports printed and submitted at the quarterly meetings 

 of the Sub-Committee. This su^g'estion has been 

 approved, and the remainder of this Introdurtion, 

 sTimmarisinp^ as it does the work carried on durinof the 

 past year, will serve as the first quarterly report to be 

 submitted at the February meeting. Succeeding- Eeports 

 will deal naturally with tlie quarters to which they refer, 

 and each will bring- tlie accouni of the work up to the 

 end of the month preceding that in which the meeting is 

 held. 



Sea Fish Hatching. 



Mr. Scott's operations at Piel have resulted in very 

 much the same measure of success as in the previous two 

 years — we cannot expect any marked increase upon these 

 numbers or any extension in the work with the present 

 accommodation at the hatchery. The tanks will not hold 

 more fish than the number now dealt with. 



Although Port Erin is not in the L. and W. District, 

 it is impossible in thinkings of broad results to discriminate 

 between the young- fish set free in Lancashire waters and 

 ihose set free round the Isle of Man. The Irish Sea is 

 one natural sea-fisheries area, and whatever benefits one 

 part is likely to beiiefit the whole. True economy and 

 efficiency will be best attained by working- the two insti- 

 tutions, Piel and Port Erin, as much as possible together, 

 so that each supplements the other and both contribute 

 to the common good. Lancashire can help Port Erin, 

 and has helped this year by getting a supply of adult 

 plaice to stock the spawning pond: Avhile Port Erin can 

 help Lancashire by carrying on rearing experiments 

 which are impossible at Piel in the absence of a pond. 

 Consequently it will be of interest to the members of the 

 Lancashire and Western Committee to know that over 



