156 transactions liverpool biological society. 



The Fish Hatchery at Piel. 

 By Andrew Scott. 



In last year's Report, p. 25, it is stated that white nukes 

 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 

 eggs 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 2,434,800 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, yielding 

 an additional 05,000 frv. ' 



