SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 83 



II. Fish Hatching. 



For the reasons mentioned in last year's report no hatching 

 operations were carried on in 1916. The engine, pumps, and 

 hatching apparatus have been meanwhile kept in good con- 

 dition to begin work when the time arrives. 



III. Distribution of Fish Eggs in the Plankton. 



Our knowledge of this subject in 1916 was again restricted 

 to what can be gained from the bi-weekly collections in Port 

 Erin Bay and its neighbourhood. There were examined 496 

 samples, and a good deal of additional information has been 

 secured which will be available for publication later on. The 

 number of collections examined in 1915 was 320. The total 

 for the period of ten years now completed, which was regarded 

 as a minimum time for this investigation, is 5,116. 



IV. MORECAMBE SPRAT FISHERY. 



This winter fishery appears to be firmly established now, 

 and preparations to participate in it are made well in advance 

 of the time when the fish are expected to be abundant. No 

 alteration has been made in the fishing apparatus which was 

 fully described in the report for 1915. Some of the fishermen 

 who, in previous winters, engaged wholly in musselling found 

 it more profitable to fit out their boats for sprat fishing in 

 the winter of 1916. 



The season opened about the middle of October. The 

 fishery did very well for a time, and from 6 to 10 half- hundred- 

 weight boxes per boat were landed for some days. The 

 weather during November was very stormy and generally 

 unfavourable. The result was that the catches became so 

 small that the fishermen began to be afraid the season would 



