TKAWLERS AND THE ARTIFICIAL 
FERTILIZATION OF FISH OVA. 
Resulting from our experiments on the artificial fertilization of 
fish ova, Ave have some progress to record. A conference was held 
at North Shields with the owners, captains and other members of 
the crews of traAvling steamers under the chairmanship of the late 
regretted Alderman J. F. Spence. At this meeting a committee Avas 
formed to endeavour to arrange that certain of the captains and 
others should attend at the Cullercoats laboratory to receive 
instruction upon the subject. It Avas decided in the first instance 
to ask these men to perform the Avork according to instructions at 
sea, and to bring a sample to the laboratory and to Avatch the 
]Arogress of the OA'a at successive visits. We thus proposed to 
accomplish the very desirable work of persuading these men to return 
the ova after fertilization to the sea Avithout taking them aAvay from 
their duties. 
The results in the Avay of attendance, hoAvever, do not encourage the 
idea of pursuing this plan in the future. Only three of the captains 
attended once, Avhile one attended on four occasions. We Averetold 
that this Avas because the men had very little time ashore. These 
men, hoAvever, saAv certain stages in the development of plaice ova, 
and the opportunity Avas taken to give some information in an 
informal manner as to the life -histories of the more important fishes. 
The little embryos forming in the ova, exhibited Avith the aid of 
the microscope, served to convince those Avho did attend that the 
Avork required of them Avas amply justified. And that the Avork Avas 
done in a satisfactory manner Avas shown by the fact that among the 
large quantity of ova sent me, especially by Captain Cappehnan, not 
one Avas found to be unfertilized. 
A pamphlet on the subject, with directions, Avas also circulated 
amongst those Avliom we Avished to interest. 
We began late but we have pleasure in stating that Captain 
Cappehnan dealt Avith over 40 cod and 12 plaice. At a modest 
estimate we may say that the 40 cod yielded say 120,000,000 OA’a 
and the 12 plaice 2,000,000 ova. Captain Cappehnan said that a 
number of the other captains had also been carrying out this Avork. 
