SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 123 



On the approach of cold weather the fish migrate towards 

 the. sea. The majority of the sexually mature forms in 

 time make their way out to sea to spawn. The movements 

 of the immature flounders are greatly influenced by the 

 conditions of the weather. When there is little or no frost 

 they remain in the shallows of the estuaries. When frost 

 of any severity sets in they quickly disappear into the 

 deeper channels. It mild winters it is probable that even 

 some of the sexually mature fish remain in the deeper parts 

 of the channels and spawn there in the spring It is not a 

 rare thing to find nearly ripe fish and occasionally partly 

 spent ones in Barrow Channel in February, when the 

 weather has been favourable. 



The food found in the stomachs of flounders varies con- 

 siderably. Sometimes it is moll u sea such as young 

 mussels ; at other times we find only Crustacea, Mysis and 

 Corophium, and occasionally marine worms. 



The incubation of the eggs of the Flounder has formed 

 the principal part of our hatching work hitherto, for two 

 reasons : (1) Mature Fish are easily collected in Barrow 

 Channel during the latter part of the year ; and (2) little 

 difficulty is experienced in transferring them to our tanks 

 and in keeping them in captivity. 



In future, however, we propose to devote more attention 

 to the incubation of Plaice eggs, and have already secured 

 a supply of mature fish for next (1902) season. 



Mature Plaice are not plentiful in the Lancashire waters, 

 and after a week's search, by the steamer, in the middle of 

 November, only five were captured. Luce Bay, in the 

 South of Scotland, was then suggested. This area was 

 well known in former days for its large Plaice, and was 

 fished with success by Fleetwood Sailing Trawlers, before 



