356 



Appendices of Fifth Annual Report 



investigating the life-histories of the food fishes, especially in connection 

 with the large mid-water net constructed at the Laboratory. This is a 

 huge tow-net of a fine mesh, but yet strong, 24 feet in length, and attached 

 to a triangle composed either of wood or bamboo, 10 feet each way. The 

 net is sunk to the required depth by a heavy leaden 1 sinker ' attached to 

 the horizontal beam of the triangle, and kept steadily there by a galvanised 

 iron float, such as is used for the ends of herring-nets. By aid of this 

 apparatus, used both in the boat and in the Fishery Board's cruiser 

 ' Garland,' important service has been done in filling up the gaps between 

 the very early stages of the young food-fishes as seen in the Laboratory, 

 or as they are found at the surface, and their appearance off the shore as 

 shoals of young forms, more or less easily recognisable specifically, even 

 by the unscientific eye. The number of interesting and important features 

 in these comparatively unknown stages of the food fishes is considerable. 



In regard to apparatus, several microscopes, a rocking microtome, a 

 microtome bath, a micro-spectroscope, and other instruments have been 

 procured. 



A nucleus of books useful to workers has also been made. Lord Dal- 

 housie further presented a set of official blue books connected with the 

 fisheries, for the purpose of spreading a knowledge of the subject amongst 

 the fishermen, and this opportunity has been widely taken advantage of. 

 The Trustees of the British Museum have also presented such of their 

 publications as related to marine zoology. Collections of papers have also 

 been forwarded by many zoologists, amongst whom Professor Flower, the 

 late Dr Gwyn Jeffreys, and Professor Alexander Agassiz are conspicuous. 

 Most of the continental and American workers, as well as those of our 

 own country, are indeed represented. 



3. Development of the Food-Fishes. 



The main work of the year has been the development of the food-fishes 

 and the extension of the researches of the previous years. 



Before the arrest of trawling in St Andrews Bay one of the local trawlers 

 fortunately procured a large mass of the ova of the catfish, which was 

 found amongst mud on board the boat, having lain several hours in the 

 open air. It was taken to the laboratory by the attendant, who, with the 

 other fishermen, thought it might be the eggs of the salmon. The em- 

 bryos were well advanced, and their study — for the first time carried out 

 in this or any other country — gave much interest to the earlier months of 

 the year, though the severity of the weather from January to March was 

 disastrous (in the wooden building) to the majority of the young fishes on 

 emergence. The large size of these eggs and embryos permitted a satis- 

 factory comparison to be instituted between them and the salmon, which 

 had formerly been under examination in Perthshire. The young fishes 

 were kept alive till June — in short, till ail the characters of the adult had 

 shown themselves. 



Mr E. E. Prince again pursued his labours (chiefly by aid of the British 

 Association and Royal Society grants) amongst the pelagic and other fish- 

 ova from March till December; and I cannot speak too highly of his patient 

 industry, skill in microscopic manipulation, and his facile and accurate de- 

 lineation of structure. Most of the. forms examined the previous year 

 were again subjected to investigation, and additional information obtained. 

 Thus a fairly complete commencement has been made in this department. 

 The intense cold during the early months of the year appears to have re- 

 tarded the spawning period of some of the marine fishes, so that their ova 

 were procured considerably later than last year. Some of the effects of 



