xxii 



Thirty -seventh Annual Report 



PART III. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



During the year 1918, 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* considerably 

 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 occasionally, as circumstances allowed. 



The Hatching Operations. 



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

 engaged on Admiralty duties, the stock of adult plaice has not been 

 renewed since 1913. It is estimated, however, that nearly one hundred 

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

 a large number of fertilised eggs were obtained during the spawning 

 season, viz., about 2,656,000, of which over 2,000,000 were taken in 

 March. Fertilised eggs were obtained from the pond from 13th 

 February to 12th April, the largest collection on any one day amount- 

 ing to about 336,000 on 14th March. The estimated number which 

 died in the hatching boxes at one stage or another was 210,000, leaving 

 about 2,446,000 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 nearly 

 446,000,000, and over 349,000,000 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 Keports, were con- 

 tinued in 1918, 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 in 1918 amounted to 5763 

 cwts., as compared with 899 cwts. in 1917, and 2576 cwts. in 1916, 

 showing therefore an increase, although the quantity is much below 



