of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



Ixi 



hearty and Crnden Bay, while small q nan. ti ties, at the end of the Reason, 

 were put into the sea locally. 



Since the hatching of the plaice was begun at the Bay of Nigg, the 

 estimated number of the eggs which have been dealt with amounts to 

 about 437,701,000 and approximately 343,244,000 fry of the plaice 

 have been put into the sea. During the first two years most of the 

 fry were taken to Lochfyne and liberated there, in continuation of an 

 experiment which was begun some years before with the view of 

 ascertaining the effect of the liberation of the fry on the abundance of 

 the older stages of the fish. The results of this experiment are fully 

 described in the Twenty-Sixth Annual Keport. The output of the 

 Hatchery in each year since 1900 is given in the subjoined Table : — 



Year. 



Eggs Collected. 



Fry Liberated 



1900 . 



. ^43,290,000 



31,305,000 



1901 . 



. 65,377,000 



51,800,000 



1902 . 



. 72,410,000 



55,700,000 



1903 . 



. 65,940,000 



53,600,000 



1904 . 



. 39,000,000 



34,780,000 



1905 . 



. 40,110,000 



24,500,000 



1906 . 



7,486,000 



4,406,000 



1907 . 



1,627,000 



1,282,000 



1908 . 



. 15,332.000 



12,296,000 



1909 . 



. 19,749,000 



16,615.000 



1910 . 



7,880,000 



6,880,000 



1911 . 



6,200,000 



5,680,000 



1912 . 



. 24,650,000 



19,250,000 



1913 . 



6,840,000 



6,320,000 



1914 . 



. 21,810,000 



18,830,000 



437,701,000 343,244,000 



Up to the year 1905 the adult plaice required for the breeding stock 

 were obtained by the use of commercial trawlers ; since then the fish 

 have been secured by the s.s. " Goldseeker," mostly from the Moray 

 Firth. 



The Investigations on the Herring Fishery in Lochfyne. 



The investigations on the Lochfyne herring fishery which have 

 been described in previous Reports were continued m 1914, as in 

 previous years, so far as the means at disposal allowed. The statistics 

 show that the yield from this once important fishing continues at a 

 very low level, the quantity of herrings taken in Lochfyne last year 

 being, indeed, the smallest of which we have any record, 

 amounting to only 3216 cwts. or 919 crans. The first herrings to be 

 caught in the loch appeared in April, and there was a gradual increase 

 in the quantity taken till July, after which the numbers declined The 

 following shows the monthly catch in cwts., last year : — 



April. ... 14 September . . 105 



May .... 14 October ... 14 



June .... 434 November . . 0 



July . . . .1550 December . . 35 

 August . . , 1050 



