SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 157 



The first fertilised eggs from the flounders stored in 

 our tanks were obtained on March 8th. These fish con- 

 tinued to supply eggs until the middle of May, and from 

 these nearly twelve millions of fry were eventually set 

 free. The total number of living eggs placed in the boxes 

 was 16,000,000, and the number of fry set free 14,144,400, 

 so that the loss during incubation was only a little over 

 ll'o per cent., a very low percentage. The duration of 

 incubation was 10 to IT days for the plaice, cod, and 

 haddock, and T to 9 days for the flounder. 



The success of the incubation was probably due to the 

 healthy condition of the eggs dealt with, and also to the 

 employment of apparatus giving a rocking motion to the 

 hatching boxes (see below, p. 158). 



The following list gives the number of fry set free, 

 and the dates on which they were liberated. Those 

 marked with an asterisk were hatched from eggs collected 

 by the steamer. All were placed in some part of that 

 wide area of our sea known as Morecambe Bay. 

 March 21. 1,126,000 flounder. 



81. 848,000 

 April 2. 598,000 



2. 20,000 haddock.* 



5. 520,000 flounder. 

 5. 15,500 plaice.* 



5. 23,000 „ 



9. 934,400 „ 

 9. 583,300 „ * 

 12. 830,200 „ 

 12. 219,800 cod.* 

 12. 285,700 haddock.* 

 17. 87,500 plaice.* 



17. 128,600 flounder. 

 20. . 1,896,000 



