of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



15 



on the crustacean parasites of fishes are described. Scarcely any 

 part of a fish is free from such parasites ; they are found running 

 over the skin, they adheie to the fins, the gills, and gill-covers, 

 they are found on the lips, the tongue, and the roof and sides of the 

 throat, in the nasal fossae, and even attached to the eye. For this 

 research a very large number of fishes were examined, belonging to 

 forty-seven species, and obtained for the most part by the Ganland 

 at various parts of the coast or at the Fish Market, Aberdeen. The 

 majority yielded one or two kinds of parasites only, while on a few 

 as many as four or five different species were obtained. The grey 

 skate furnished the largest number, six different kinds having been 

 found on specimens of this species. The saithe and torsk came 

 next with five species each ; the hake and toper yielded four, while 

 three each were obtained on the common gurnard, the halibut, the 

 turbot, the plaice, the conger, and the sun-fish. Eleven fishes 

 yielded two, and twenty-six only one species of parasite each. 



The number of species of parasites which are described in the 

 paper is 66, of which 59 belong to the Copepoda, 5 to the Isopoda, 

 and 2 to the Amphipoda. Of the Copepocl species, a group in which 

 Mr. Scott is one of the leading authorities, six of the species 

 described are new to science. Some of these parasitic crustaceans 

 are so strangely abnormal and grotesque in form that the most 

 experienced naturalists have failed to recognise their relationship 

 to the Crustacea until the study of their development and life- 

 history revealed their true affinity. The paper is illustrated by 

 numerous figures. 



Seine-Net Fishing for Herein* ;s. 



The alleged injurious action of the seine-net in the herring 

 fishery has been for some time under investigation with the view 

 of ascertaining whether the two principal objections which have 

 been urged against this mode of fishing — namely, the wasteful 

 destruction of the herring-spawn deposited on the bottom, and of 

 immature herrings — are well founded. For several years, as stated 

 in previous Reports, arrangements were made to conduct investiga- 

 tions at the well-known spawning ground, Ballantrae Bank, off the 

 Ayrshire coast, but owing to the failure of the fishing in successive 

 seasons seine-net boats scarcely took part in it, and the observations 

 could not be made. Last year, however, and still more markedly 

 in the present season, the herrings reappeared on the bank in con- 

 siderable numbers, and an investigation was made by the assistance 

 of the Garland. The results of this enquiry and of the corres- 

 ponding enquiry made in Loch Fyne are given in a paper in the 

 present Eeport by Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton, the Scientific Superin- 

 tendent. 



It was found that while the seine-net may capture considerable 

 quantities of small herrings which would escape capture by the 

 drift-net or the trammel-net, and may be the means of occasionally 

 destroying quite immature herrings, the evidence shows that the 

 action of the seine-net in Loch Fyne has not been unnecessarily 

 wasteful, or injurious to the permanence of the supply of herrings 

 from the loch. Statistics prove that while the number of seine-net 



