36 



TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



during the earlier half of the hatching season, and the mortality 

 in the West pond was very considerable. 



It is worthy of note that an exceptionally luxuriant growth 

 of the green alga Enteromorpha on the lower portion of the 

 Port Erin lifeboat slip had its counterpart in the ponds during 

 the hatching season, the bottoms and lower half of the sides 

 being thickly covered with the weed. 



The first batch of eggs, numbering 6,300, were placed 

 in the hatching boxes on February 14th. The daily numbers 

 of eggs collected were comparatively small until March 9th, 

 when 105,000 were obtained. The largest daily number of 

 the season — 243,600 — was reached three days later. Over 

 200,000 were collected on March 24th and 26th and April 1st, 

 11th and 20th. After the last named date the numbers 

 decreased very rapidly, and the season ended on the 30th 

 with 31,500. The total number of eggs spawned was 4,445,800 

 and of larvae set free 3,594,650. 



The Hatchery Record, giving the number of eggs collected 



and of larvae set free 



on the various 



days, is as follows : — 









Larvae 





Eggs collected. 





Date. 



set free. 



Date. 



126,000 . 



. Feb. 



14 to 28 



81,900 



... March 17 



216,300 . 



. Marcr 



l 3 to 7 



186,900 



... „ 22 



231,000 . 



5? 



9 and 10 



203,700 



... „ 26 



764,400 . 



?> 



12 to 19 



680,400 



... April 2 



262,500 . 



>? 



21 and 22 



221,500 



... „ 5 



231,000 . 



?? 



24 



199,500 



... „ 7 



220,500 . 



}5 



26 



196,350 



... „ 9 



237,300 . 



?5 



28 and 29 



207,900 



... „ 12 



155,400 . 



?? 



30 



131,250 



... „ 13 



336,000 . 



?? 



31 and April 1 



275,100 



... „ 16 



178,500 . 



. April 



2 



154,350 



... „ 18 



373,800 . 



?? 



4 to 8 



342,300 



... „ 23 



367,500 . 



?? 



11 to 15 



262,500 



... „ 29 



634,200 . 



?? 



18 to 22 



386,400 



... May 5 



113,400 . 



?? 



25 to 30 



64,600 



... ,', 7 



4,445,800 



3,594,650 





