220 



Part III, — Sixteenth Annual Rejport 



by the ordinary trawlers, and in order to secure a healthy stock of spawners 

 of this valuable flat-fish other means must be employed. The most 

 successful method would be to collect from near the coast nearly mature 

 fish measuring from 10 to 12 inches, and mature them in confinement as 

 is being done with the turbot. Most of the lemon soles of the above- 

 mentioned size would become mature in one or at most in two years. But 

 in order to deal with this flat-fish in this way] it would be necessary 

 to obtain more accommodation in the way of tidal tanks than exists at 

 present at Dunbar. 



3. On the Hatching of Plaice during the Spring Season 1897. 



The spawners were this year, as usual, collected from the steam trawlers 

 by the Garland. From February 3rd to March 15th 603 fishes were 

 landed and at once placed in the spawning pond. Fertilised eggs were first 

 observed in the last week of February, and on the 22nd the first col- 

 lection was carried out, about two weeks earlier than in any other year. 

 The spawning season ended on May 11th, when altogether 30,960,000 eggs 

 had been obtained. Of these about 92 per cent, were successfully hatched 

 and the young fry transported to Loch Fyne. A number of fry was lost 

 during the transport, principally owing to the often rough usage that the 

 apparatus got in the hurried changes in railway stations and handling 

 elsewhere. Precautions have been taken to obviate this difiiculty, so that 

 such losses in future will be reduced to a minimum. Table I. shows the 

 daily progress of the hatching work, while Table II. gives particulars in 

 regard to the distribution of the fry. 



Table I. — Showing the Number of Eggs and Fry dealt with and the 

 Daily Temperature of the "Water. 



Date. 



Number 

 of Eggs 



Number 

 of Eggs 

 dead in 

 Boxes. 



Number 

 of Fry put 



Number of 

 Eggs and 



Temperature at 

 noon of the Tank. 



*Fry lost 



during 

 Transport 

 or Planted 

 at Dunbar. 







Collected. 



out. 



ft 



Fry in Boxes. 



Centi- 

 grade. 



Fahren- 

 heit. 















Deg. 



Deg. 





Feb. 



22 



60,000 







60,000 



4-6 



40-3 







23 







60,000 



4-7 



40-5 





> > 



24 



170^000 







230,000 



4-8 



40-6 





) > 



25 







230.000 



4-7 



40-5 





>> 



26 



isojooo 







410,000 



4-8 



40-6 





>> 



27 



130,000 







540,000 



4-8 



40-6 





5 > 



28 



200,000 



s'ojooo 





710,000 



5-0 



41-0 





Mar. 



1 



240,000 





950,000 



5-1 



41-2 





>> 



2 



400,000 







1,350,000 



5-2 



41-4 





> » 



3 



220,0C0 







1,570,000 



5-3 



41-5 





> ) 



4 



340,000 



15,' 000 





1,895,000 



5-5 



41-9 





> 5 



5 



280,080 





2,175,000 



5-4 



41-7 





J> 



6 



460,000 



35^000 





2,600,000 



5-5 



41-9 





>> 



7 



200,000 





2,800,000 



5-3 



41-5 





)l 



8 



180,000 



20,000 





2,960,000 



5-2 



41-4 





»> 



9 



260,000 





3,220,000 



5-3 



41-5 





>> 



10 



250,000 



eo^ooo 





3,410,000 



5-4 



41-7 





•> 



11 



340,000 





3,750,000 



5-2 



41-4 





»l 



12 



400,000 







4,150,000 



5-2 



41-4 







13 



580,000 



50;000 





4,680,000 



5-1 



41-2 



* After hatching, the eggshells sink to the bottom of the hatching boxes, from where 

 they must at once be removed. It is not always easy to separate them from the 

 fry, and some of the latter are therefore taken to the sea as well. The number of fry 

 thus removed must be estimated, as there is no exact way by which the number can be 

 ascertained. The number of fry lost in the transporting had also to be estimated, but, 

 as they were carried in small bottles, and it generally was one or more of these that were 

 unsuccessful, the estimation of the numbers was not very difficult. 



The approximate number of fry planted locally, and of fry lost during transport, 

 are given together in the Table. 



