of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



57 



mately from 5'5 to 8 cms. (2J-3J) inches. In June 1918 the length ap- 

 peared to have increased to about 15 cms. (6 inches), in March 1919 to 

 about 18 cms. (7 inches) long; in July 1919 to about 21*1 cms. (8J 

 inches), and in June 1920 to about 23*4 cms. (9 \ inches). 



Meteorology. 



The Board are naturally interested in meteorological phenomena, 

 which, apart from their direct effect on practical fishing operations, 

 exercise a profound if less determinate effect on the conditions of 

 marine life. The inter-relations of meteorology and hydrography 

 form one of the most difficult and complex aspects of fishery research, 

 one of the functions of which is to determine how far and in what 

 manner the production, development, migration and habits of the 

 fish are affected by weather conditions, with their varying 

 influences on the movements, temperatures and general conditions 

 of the sea. 



It is hoped that a closer co-operation between meteorological and 

 fishery research in Scotland will be possible as a result of the 

 establishment at Edinburgh of a branch of the Meteorological Office ; 

 and the appointment of a Scottish Advisory Meteorological Com- 

 mittee on which the Board are represented. 



Through the instrumentality of the Board and the courtesy of 

 the Meteorological Office, barometers have for many years past been 

 supplied to numerous fishing stations on the Scottish coasts for the 

 use of local fishermen. The instruments are in many cases of an 

 obsolete pattern, and the question of replacing these with more 

 modern instruments has received consideration. It is understood 

 that the Meteorological Office will be prepared, whenever possible, 

 to supply barographs which will, it is thought, prove more service- 

 able to the fishery communities. 



Ornithology. 



From time to time the Board's attention has been directed to the 

 depredations of wild birds on the stock of sea and freshwater fish. 

 The feeding habits of certain sea birds are forming the subject of 

 enquiry, and the matter is being kept under observation. The Board 

 are represented on the Ornithological Advisory Committee for 

 Scotland, which has been appointed in accordance with the recom- 

 mendation of the Report of the Departmental Committee on the 

 Protection of Wild Birds. 



Reports on Investigations. 



During the year two scientific reports were published, one by Dr. 

 Fulton (a " Report on the Marking Experiments on Plaice, made by the 

 S.S. 1 Goldseeker' in the years 1910-1913") ; the other by Dr. Alex- 

 ander Bowman on "The Eggs and Larvae of the Angler (Lophius 

 piscatorius) in Scottish Waters, — a Review of our Present Knowledge 

 of the Life History of the Angler." 



Other papers approaching completion at the end of the year com- 



