SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 189 



The work of teaching the classes at Piel has been in the 

 hands of Mr. James Johnstone, B.Sc, from the Liverpool 

 laboratory, but he has been assisted when necessary by 

 Mr. Andrew Scott, so that both of these gentlemen have 

 taken part in the work. 



The course of instruction includes: — 



1. Aetna! observations (microscopic and otherwise) on 



the structure and mode of reproduction of the 

 common sea-fishes, mollusca and Crustacea; on the 

 food of fishes and the microscopic life in the sea ; 

 on the varieties and nature of fish and shell-fish 

 spawn ; on the life-histories and habits of the 

 edible fishes and shell-fish and many other similar 

 matters. All the above is given in the form of 

 practical laboratory work, the preparations being 

 made and examined by the fishermen themselves. 

 The material dealt with is fresh from the sea or 

 shore, and in the case of the microscopic fish food, 

 eggs and embryos are brought in and examined 

 alive. 



2. Short demonstration on some of the above matters 



by the teachers. 



3. Occasional short lectures with lantern slides in order 



to recall, illustrate and revise past work. 



4. Demonstrations on how best to secure and fertilise 



ripe eggs from spawning fish when brought up in 



the trawl. 

 As to further developments of the system, not much 

 more is possible with our present accommodation and 

 staff than we are now doing. Classes might be held from 

 near the end of February till early in May. This is 

 apparently the only time of the year that suits the fisher- 

 men, and it is also the time when the hatching work is 

 going on and most of the economic marine animals are 



