306 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



instance known to the writer, of lugworms being imported 

 and sold in quantities in the market. 



Although lugworms are fairly abundant they are 

 apparently not as extensively used for bait as formerly. 

 This is probably because they are troublesome to obtain, 

 and may be kept only for a short time. These dis- 

 advantages account for the fact that in some cases 

 mussels are used in preference to Arenicola, which was 

 formerly employed, as these molluscs are readily obtain- 

 able in quantity, and may be kept for a reasonable period 

 with very little trouble. In other cases Nereids are used, 

 as these are also more hardy than Arenicola. 



On the coast of Durham and Northumberland, for 

 example, Arenicola is not nearly so extensively used as 

 formerly. Nereids are, when procurable, used in pre- 

 ference to Arenicola, the order of preference being, for 

 " hard bottom " — mussel, Nereis, Arenicola', for "soft 

 bottom " — Nereis, Arenicola, mussel. The special fishing 

 for soles is not a feature of the present-day fishing in this 

 district as it was in the past. Possibly this accounts for 

 the fact that worms are, on the whole, less used, and that 

 the principal baits at present employed here are mussels 

 and limpets.* 



Fullartonf has made experiments which give inter- 

 esting information regarding the preference of fishes for 

 the four baits most commonly used on the Scottish coast. 

 The experiments were carried out in various parts of the 

 Firth of Forth, and in various depths of water. The line 

 used had 1,200 hooks, provided with different baits in 

 batches of forty hooks, so that a large variety of baits 

 could be used under identical conditions. The fish 



* My thanks are due to Mr. Alexander Meek, M.Sc, of the 

 Durham College of Science, Newcastle-on-Tyne, for this information. 



f Seventh Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 p. 352. 



