SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 219 



may state that Captain Wignall and the crew of the " John 

 Fell " most cheerfully and willingly did all that was 

 possible to render the result of the fishing thoroughly 

 successful. We have found in the past that only female 

 plaice of 15 inches and over in length can be depended on 

 to yield ripe spawn. But the sizes of the males at first 

 maturity are rather less than this, and in order to secure 

 a sufficient number of these fishes all plaice of 14 inches 

 and over were retained. About a hundred smaller fish 

 (8 to 12 inches in length) were kept alive for the marking 

 experiments also made on this occasion, but all the other 

 small fish of 8 to 9 inches were returned alive to the sea. 

 During the latter hauls a considerable number of 

 medium-sized plaice were also thrown overboard alive 

 into the sea. 



The positions of the hauls on these two days are given 

 in the sketch chart on next page. This is traced from an 

 Admiralty chart marked by Captain Wignall. 



The large plaice were at once taken from the contents 

 of the net and put into a shallow wooden tank, and when 

 the deck was cleared, and the net shot again, these fishes 

 were taken out one by one, measured, and distributed 

 among the other tanks. Sea water was continuously 

 pumped into a large, tall wooden tub, from which it 

 passed into the other tanks by rubber hosepipe connec- 

 tions. Flat low wooden tanks are best adapted for 

 carrying live fish, but when the sea is rough, and there is 

 much motion of the vessel, the water in these low tanks 

 becomes violently agitated, to the great detriment of the 

 fish. On the whole, then, large, galvanised iron, round 

 vessels, with a contracted opening, kept full of water, are 

 safest for the transit of the fish. No difficulty was 

 experienced in keeping the plaice alive and in good con- 

 dition, provided a constant water circulation was 



