SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 275 



complete year, for the migrations made by fishes will 

 depend to a great extent on the season. If rate of growth 

 is to be studied, at least one or more years must elapse 

 before reliable conclusions can be drawn. Growth does 

 not go on in the winter months, and none of the fishes 

 recovered so far has exhibited any increase in weight or 

 length. 



The results obtained up to the present time 

 (February, 1905) may be stated very briefly : 



Considering the fish liberated off the Lancashire and 

 Welsh coasts alone, 21, or about 7 per cent., were 

 recaptured during the first month. 



Of the fish liberated on the Blackpool Closed Ground, 

 a great proportion must have gone into Morecambe Bay, 

 as far North as Grange, and have been caught by trawls 

 and stake nets in this area. One went South and was 

 caught off the Ribble estuary. 



The fish liberated at Newcome Knoll have for the 

 most part apparently gone inshore. Most went into Rock 

 Channel and on to the Wallasey and Leasowe shore ; one 

 travelled to the Gut Channel off Southport, and one as far 

 North as the River Lune. 



Of the fish liberated off the North Coast of Wales, 

 only two have been recaptured any distance away from 

 the place where set free : these were caught in the estuary 

 of the Dee. The others re-caught were mostly taken in 

 Red Wharf Bay. 



Several exceptional journeys have been made. Thus 

 a plaice referred to above travelled from Newcome Knoll 

 Buoy, off the Mersey, to No. 4 Buoy in the Lune estuary, 

 a distance of about 35 miles in 20 days. Another plaice 

 set free off Blackpool was caught by a Fleetwood smack 

 G miles W. by S. of Blackcombe, on the Cumberland 

 coast. This fish had travelled 30 miles supposing, what 



