Ix 



Thirtieth Animal Report 



The larval fishes are retained in the apparatus until the yolk-sac is 

 nearly absorbed, when they are transferred to the sea at suitable 

 localities. Last year the first collection of eggs was made on 20th 

 February, and the last on 10th May, the greater number being, as 

 usual, obtained in March and April. 



The fry were distributed in the sea in five lots between 24th March 

 and 13th May, more than four-fifths being liberated on the northern 

 part of the Aberdeenshire coast between Rosehearty and Rattray Bay. 

 The advantage of liberating the fry in the region named depends upon 

 the circumstance that the current passes southwards along the coast 

 carrying them to a certain extent with it. The remainder of the fry 

 were distributed in Aberdeen Bay and neighbourhood. 



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 385,000,000, and approximately 299,000,000 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 Report. The output of the 

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



Year. 



Eo-gs 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, - 



39,000,600 



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 





385,001,000 



- 298,844,000 



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. 



As described in previous Reports, investigations into the failure of 

 the herring fishery in Lochfyne have been carried on for a number of 

 years, and they were continued in 1911. It is to be regretted that 

 the failure of this once important fishery still is very marked. 

 Statistics show that the mean annual catch of herrings in Lochfyne 

 for the period 1863-1906 was 25,180 crans, and for the last eighteen 

 years up to 1906 it was 27,375 crans, while the greatest quantity 

 taken in any single year was 56,820 crans in 1897. The figures for 

 the last twelve years are as follow : — 



