12 



Part III. — Seventeenth Annual Report 



It may be noticed from these figures that while each hundred of 

 flat-fishes caught in the closed waters in the colder months consisted 

 in the first period of 69 plaice and lemon soles, and 31 dabs, each 

 hundred in the corresponding months of the second period consisted 

 of 52 plaice and lemon soles, and 48 dabs. In the warmer months 

 of the first period each hundred consisted of 58 plaice and lemon 

 soles, and 42 dabs ; while each hundred in the same months of the 

 second period consisted of 47 plaice and lemon soles, and 53 dabs. 

 The inshore-spawning dabs, therefore, to a very large extent 

 supplanted the offshore-spawning plaice and lemon soles in the 

 closed waters. A more detailed analysis (pp. 25, 26) shows that 

 these changes were common to each of the individual species, 

 plaice, lemon soles, common dabs, and long rough dabs, and that 

 they occurred in nearly every month in the year, when the 

 months of the two quinquennial periods are contrasted. 



The Hatching and Bearing of Food Fishes. 



The operations at the Marine Hatchery at Dunbar last year 

 consisted in the hatching of the fertilised eggs of plaice, the same 

 methods as in previous years being employed. Adult plaice, to 

 serve as spawners for the supply of eggs, were procured by the 

 " Garland " from trawlers in February and March, a little over 700 

 males and females being thus obtained. Owing to the method of 

 capture a considerable number of the fishes exhibited the charac- 

 teristic features which have been described in previous Keports, and 

 many of them subsequently succumbed to the injuries they had 

 received. 



The collection of fertilised eggs from the spawning pond com- 

 menced on 15th February and continued until 7th May, when 

 altogether 21,510,000 had been procured and placed in the 

 hatching apparatus. The largest numbers were obtained at the end 

 of March and the beginning of April. The number of fry success- 

 fully hatched was 19,200,000, which were transferred to Loch Fyne 

 at various dates between 1st April and 20th May, and liberated in 

 the upper loch, principally off Inveraray. 



The numbers of fry of the various species of marine food fishes 

 which have been hatched at the establishment since the work was 

 commenced are as follows : — % 





Plaice. 



Cod. 



Lemon Soles. 



Turbot. 



Others. 



Total. 



1894 



26,060,000 



500,000 









26,560,000 



1895 



38,615,000 



2,760,000 



4,145,000 



3,800,000 



1,050,000 



50,370,000 



1896 



11,353,000 



750,000 



1,580,000 



1,360,000 



950,000 



15,990,000 



1897 



24,370,000 











24,370,000 



1898 



19,200,000 











19 200,000 





119,595,000 



4,010,000 



5,725,000 



5,160,000 



2,000,000 



136,490,000 



