Fishery Board for Scotland. 



xxiii 



to the development of the common mussel, and an account of his Life-history of 

 investigations up to the present time will be found in the Appendix Mussel, 

 (see page 218). During the summer and early autumn several 

 attempts were made to fertilise the eggs artificially at St Andrews. 

 The early stages of development were studied from ova obtained 

 in this manner, while the free swimming embryos v/ere frequently 

 obtained in pools amongst the mussel beds in the Eden and in 

 other localities. 



As the supply of bait is a matter of great importance to the 

 fishermen, the inquiry as to the life-history and growth of the 

 mussel will be continued. In addition to this and other work, 

 arrangements will be made for utilising the St Andrew's laboratory 

 to the fullest extent in connection with the trawling experiments 

 likely soon to be begun in St Andrew's Bay. 



Naturalists and fishermen alike have long felt the absence 

 of accurate information as to the spawning period of fishes. 



In order to have a basis on which to found further investigations, Spawning 

 Mr Brook has prepared a provisional list of the spawning period of P^^jj'^^ 

 the various food fishes. This list brings out the great lack of 

 accurate information on the subject; but gives an idea of the 

 opinions as to the spawning periods held by fishermen and others 

 around our coast. These opinions are in many cases conflicting, 

 and in most cases they will require to be altered. The dates, which 

 are given in bolder type, have already been verified. 



Under the title of ' Ichthyological notes,' Mr Brook has given Notes on rare 

 a short account of the rare fishes that have been met with during Fishes, 

 the year. The most interesting of these is Zeugopterus tcnimaculatus, 

 a small flat fish allied to the turbot. It was taken on several 

 occasions in Loch Fyne and kept alive for several months in the 

 Tarbert Laboratory, where its habits and mode of respiration were 

 carefully studied. Notes are also given of the occurrence of twelve 

 other species which are more or less rare around our coasts. These 

 include Ctenolahrtcs rupestris, Centrolahrus exoletus, Motella cimhria, 

 Zeugopterus punctatus, Pristiurus melanostomus. 



In addition to the above, a note will be found on two specimens of 

 the Greenland shark (Lcemargus microcephalus) by Mr Calderwood.* 



AMENDMENT OF THE LAW RELATING TO SCOTTISH 

 SEA FISHERIES. 



The Royal Commissioners appointed in 1883, of whom your Lord- Report of 

 ship was chairman, to inquire and report upon the complaints that co'JiJ^iisfion 

 had been made by line and drift-net fishermen of injuries sustained 

 by them in their calling owing to the use of the trawl net and beam 

 trawl, in the territorial waters of the United Kingdom, issued their 

 Report in 1885. In consequence of conclusions which the Commis- Sonneiatint' 

 sioners came to, and of facts brought before them in the course of to Scottish s°ea 



Fisheries : — 



* A report on the hatching of cod, haddock, and other white fish, and on the 

 hatching and rearing of lobsters in Norway, and a report on the relations of the size 

 of the herring captured on the East Coast to the size of the mesh of the nets used, 

 "Which have not been included in this Report, will, along with other papers, be 

 presented at an early date. 



