of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



Ixi 



When the motor boat above referred to is obtained by the Board 

 it is hoped that the experiments and observations in connection with 

 the lobster and the lobster fishery will be extended. 



The Influence of Temperature on the Development of the Eggs 



OF the Herring. 



It was stated in the Report for last year that experiments had 

 been conducted on behalf of the New Zealand Government on the 

 retardation of the development of the fertilised eggs of the herring, 

 with the view of transporting them to the Dominion, and that the first 

 consignment had been shipped in January last. These eggs, about 

 60,000 in number, were fertilised at Plymouth on January 10, under the 

 personal supervision of Dr. H. C. Williamson, and placed on board the 

 R.M.S. " Waimana " on 12th January, which then left for New Zealand 

 via the Cape of Good Hope, the eggs being in charge of Mr. T. Anderton, 

 the Curator of the Marine Laboratory and Fish Hatchery in New 

 Zealand, who had also on board a stock of live turbot, lobsters, and 

 crabs. Calculated on a temperature-unit basis, a temperature of 

 35*5 degrees F. would retard the development of the herring eggs for the 

 necessary fifty days, and this temperature was maintained with little 

 variation throughout the voyage. The eggs were in good condition 

 when the Equator was crossed on 24th January, and the outline of the 

 embryo could be easily seen ; very few eggs had died. The water 

 at Cape Town was somewhat dirty, and the eggs received a coating 

 of sediment, but up to 6th February the prospect of successfully taking 

 them to New Zealand seemed bright. An accident then occurred, and 

 the supply tank ran dry, and when the water returned it came with 

 great pressure and brought with it an immense quantity of rust and 

 sediment which had accumulated, and the water in which the eggs were 

 placed became as thick as soup." This condition continued more or 

 less for some days. On 12th February most of the eggs contained dead 

 embryos, and on the 14th the experiment was abandoned (in 47° 26' S. 

 latitude, 104° 57' E. longitude). The ova were found to be impregnated 

 through and through with rust, and no trace of a live embryo was 

 detected. None of the embryos had hatched out. The experiment 

 thus failed, but it is of interest to know that the eggs were taken so far 

 as they were. 



Development and Improvement of Sea Fisheries. 



In conformity with a request of the Development Commissioners, 

 the Board, after consultation and conference with the Board of Agri- 

 culture for England and the Department of Agriculture and Technical 

 Instruction for Ireland, and as part of a general plan and agreement 

 between the three departments, prepared a scheme for the acquisition 

 of further knowledge of the sea fisheries and of measures that might be 

 taken for their development and improvement, especially on the West 

 Coast of Scotland. The scheme in question, with relative information 

 as to methods and cost, was submitted to the Development Com- 

 missioners in December last, and is now being considered by them. 



