SEA FISHERIES LABORATORY. 103 
student of the Zoological Department of the Royal College 
of Science, London, who came with strong recommenda- 
tions from his teacher Professor G. B. Howes, of South 
Kensington, and from Professor M‘Intosh of St. Andrews, 
where Mr. Corbin had done some work at the Marine 
Station in the previous summer. Mr. Corbin started 
work on June ist, and is still here, and I hope we may 
retain his services for a considerable time. This is pre- 
eminently work where an assistant should become more 
and more useful, and able to work more rapidly, as time 
goes on, as in order to render efficient service he has to 
know as intimately as possible the details of the ground, 
and the fauna and flora of various parts of the district, all 
of which takes time to learn. I have much pleasure in 
testifymg to Mr. Corbin’s intelligence and energy in his 
work, and in acknowledging his help in the preparation 
of this report. 
ScoPpE OF THE INVESTIGATIONS. 
In the original scheme of these investigations which I 
submitted to the Sea Fisheries Committee on January 16th. 
I indicated some of the more pressing subjects requiring 
investigation, as follows :— 
(1.) Information in regard to the life-history, the 
srowth, the reproduction, and especially the food of the 
Sole (Solea vulgaris) in this neighbourhood; and also the 
life-history, and food at all stages, of allied fishes of similar 
habits which are found associated with the Sole, in order 
to determine to what extent these or other less valuable 
fishes compete with the Sole for the same food, and so 
injure it in the struggle for existence. 
(2.) The food, habits, enemies, life-history and growth 
of the Shrimp (Crangon vulgaris); the possibility of 
restricting the Shrimp fishery either in space or time on 
