8 



Part III. — Thirteenth Annual Report 



knots an hour, while an ordinary steam trawler can go from ten 

 to twelve knots, and she is only adapted "to carry a 25-feet beam 

 trawl. 



In consequence of the inability of the ' Garland ' to face anything 

 but moderate weather, or venture far from land, the work has been 

 in great measure restricted to limited portions of the territorial 

 waters and certain firths and bays. It has not been possible, with 

 the means at disposal, to carry on adequate investigations as to the 

 results of the prohibition of beam-trawl fishing in the Moray Firth 

 and the Firth of Clyde in addition to the investigations in the 

 areas of the Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay ; nor to extend 

 the inquiries which have already yielded valuable results in the 

 inshore waters in relation to the areas within which beam-trawling 

 is prohibited, to the great breeding-grounds situated at some 

 distance from the shore, and which form the principal source of fish 

 supply to the territorial seas. Were the ' Garland ' replaced by an 

 efficient sea-going vessel of the type recommended by the Parlia- 

 mentary Committee on Sea Fisheries, in 1893, capable of visiting 

 the fishing-grounds when trawlers and ordinary fishing-boats can 

 carry on their work, it would be possible to conduct the investiga- 

 tions referred to in the offshore waters. 



Part of the scientific work was also carried on at the marine 

 laboratories at St Andrews and Dunbar; at the latter, on the 

 influence of temperature on the development of fish eggs, and at 

 the former, under the direction of Professor M'Intosh, F.R.S., on 

 the eggs, larvae, and development of the food fishes, the distribution 

 of pelagic eggs, on tha rate of growth of fishes, &c, These are 

 referred to more fully below. 



Physical observations on the temperature and density of the sea 

 have been made daily at a number of fixed stations on the east and 

 west coasts, and on board the ' Garland,' the ' Vigilant,' and H.M.S. 

 ' Jackal.' A report on the physical observations is included in the 

 present report (p. 302). 



The Hatching and Reaking of Food Fishes. 



In last year's Report the reasons which induced the Board to 

 establish a hatchery for sea-fishes at Dunbar were given, together 

 with a detailed description and plans of the building, and an 

 account of the work during the first season it was in operation. In 

 the present report will be found an account by Mr Harald 

 Dannevig, who is in charge of the hatching work, of what has been 

 accomplished during the current season, and of the work now in 

 progress. It is satisfactory to be able to state that the various 

 pumping and incubating apparatus have continued to work well 

 and without any hitch, and that the number of fry of the food 

 fishes which have been successfully dealt with this season con- 

 siderably exceeds the number turned out last year. 



The total number of fry distributed from the hatchery last year 

 was 26,560,000, consisting of 26,060,000 fry of the plaice, and about 

 [laif-a-million fry of the cod. This season, so far as it has gone, 



