of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



15 



Mr Williamson also gives a detailed account of the distribution 

 of the pelagic eggs and larvae of the various species of food-fishes, 

 obtained in the tow-nets of the ' Garland ' and the boat ' Dal- 

 housie,' including those of the plaice, haddock, cod, whiting, saithe, 

 sprat, dab, turbot, gurnard, long rough dab, flounder, &c. In 

 another paper the same naturalist describes the variation in the 

 size of the eggs of a number of the food-fishes. Dr Fullarton has 

 also furnished an elaborate description of the larval and post-larval 

 development of the brain in the lesser sand-eel (Ammodytes 

 tobianus), accompanied by illustrations. The important subject of 

 the rate of growth of fishes is at present receiving considerable 

 attention in connection with fishing questions. In the present 

 report Mr Arthur T. Masterman, B.A., gives the result of his 

 researches on the subject at St Andrews, dealing especially with the 

 rate of growth of the plaice. 



Mr Harald Dannevig also furnishes, in the present report, an 

 account of the experiments he has made in regard to the influence 

 of variations of temperature in accelerating or retarding the 

 development of the eggs of fishes. The species dealt with were the 

 plaice, cod, haddock, whiting and flounder. 



The Fauna of the Firth of Forth and of Inland Waters. 



Mr Thomas Scott, F.L.S., who has done so much to elucidate 

 the marine fauna, especially on the East Coast, contributes to the 

 present report a paper dealing with his continued observations on 

 the fauna of the Firth of Forth area, which has resulted in the 

 discovery of other 28 species of Copepoda, several of which have 

 been described and figured for the first time. In other papers Mr 

 Scott describes his researches on the fauna of the lakes of Barra 

 and North Uist, and on the inland waters of the Shetland Isles ; 

 the latter in conjunction with Mr Eobert Duthie, the assistant 

 Fishery Officer of the district. It is shown that in the Shetland 

 lochs there is an ample food supply for trout, and that what is 

 wanted is protection for the fish by the cultivation of aquatic 

 plants. 



Physical Investigations. 



In the present report will be found an elaborate paper, accom* 

 panied by numerous tables, by Mr A. J. Herbertson, F.K.G.S., 

 dealing with the physical observations on the temperature and 

 density of the sea, carried on during 1893, at various fixed stations 

 on the east and west coasts, on board the ' Garland,' the 'Vigilant,' 

 and H.M.S. 'Jackal.' In 1893 the extremes of sea temperature 

 were greater than usual, but the average temperature of the 

 surface water for the year is near the mean value derived from 

 observations of the past years since the investigations were begun. 

 The mean annual temperature of the water at the east coast 

 stations during 1893 was considerably higher than in 1892, being 

 almost the same as in 1891 and lower than 1890. 



