of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



xv 



PART III. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



During the year 1917, the scientific fishery investigations of the 

 Board were carried on, under the supervision of Dr. T. Wemyss 

 Fulton, the Scientific Superintendent, as far as possible on the same 

 general lines as in previous years. The research work, with a some- 

 what reduced staff, has been done, at the Marine Laboratory at the 

 Bay of Nigg, and in the Laboratory at the Old Post Office, Aberdeen, 

 and the inquiries relating to the herring fishery in Lochfyne have 

 also been carried on as circumstances allowed. 



The Hatching Operations. 



Owing to the fact that the research steamer " Goldseeker " was 

 engaged in other duties, the stock of adult plaice has not been 

 renewed since 1913. There remain, however, nearly one hundred 

 of the old stock, and, as they had been well fed with mussels, a large 

 number of fertilised eggs were obtained during the spawning season, 

 viz. 2,950,000, of which over 2,700,000 were taken in March. 

 Fertilised eggs were obtained from the pond from 13th February 

 to 30th April, the largest collection on any one day amounting to 

 392,000 obtained on 13th March. The estimated number which 

 died in the hatching boxes at one stage or another was 256,000, 

 leaving nearly 2,7.00,000 which were liberated as fry in the 

 neighbourhood of Aberdeen. 



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

 the eggs which have been dealt with are estimated to amount to 

 about 442,000,000, and over 347,000,000 fry of the plaice have been 

 added to the sea, to enrich the inshore grounds. 



The Investigations on the Herring Fishery in Lochfyne. 



The investigations in connection with the Lochfyne Herring 

 Fishery, which have been described in previous Eeports, were 

 continued in 1917 so far as means allowed. The statistics show that 

 the yield from this once important fishing still continues at a low 

 level. The quantity of herrings landed amounted to only 899 cwts., 

 as compared with 2576 cwts. last year, 13,399 cwts. in 1915, and 

 3214 cwts. in 1914. The following shows the monthly catch, in 

 cwts., last year : — 



January 



February 



March 



April 



May 



June 



315 

 7 



49 

 8 



July . 



August . 



September 



October 



November 



December 



139 

 360 

 21 



It may be stated that the herring fishing at Ballantrae Bank, 

 which is commonly supposed to be one of the spawning grounds of 

 the Lochfyne herrings, was much more successful in the spring of 



