SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 97 



Sea Fish Hatching at Piel. 

 By Andrew Scott. 



In the operations carried on during the fish hatching 

 season of 1902, the eggs of both plaice and flounder were 

 dealt with. The number of eggs incubated and fry set 

 free, fall short of last year's figures. This reduction is 

 due to the fact that the number of eggs produced by a 

 mature female plaice is only about one-fifth of that pro- 

 duced by a mature female flounder, and that this year 

 about half of our available space was occupied by plaice, 

 while the previous year it was wholly devoted to flounders. 

 The average spawning plaice is also considerably larger 

 than the average spawning flounder, and, therefore, fewer 

 adults can be kept. It therefore follows, that with the 

 limited tank accommodation at Piel, if we continue to 

 substitute plaice for flounder, the number of eggs for 

 incubation will decrease. Any such decrease in the 

 numbers of fry set free is, however, more than compen- 

 sated for by the higher value of the plaice. 



As stated in last year's report, mature plaice are now 

 very scarce in Lancashire waters. It has been necessary, 

 therefore, to obtain the stock of spawning fish from the 

 preserved waters on the South coast of Scotland. Per- 

 mission to trawl in Luce Bay was very courteously given 

 by the Fishery Board for Scotland, and in the autumn of 

 1901 and 1902 visits were made to that bay with much 

 success, and a sufficient number of mature fish were 

 collected. It is to be regretted that such an area, suitable 

 for the habitat of mature plaice, and at the same time able 

 to be strictly preserved by the Lancashire and Western Sea 



