12 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
8 inches in height and 7 inches across the fully expanded 
tentacles. On one occasion it moved imperceptibly a 
distance of nearly three feet in twenty-four hours. A 
number of specimens of Antedon bifida have been kept in 
good health since the end of May in a large tank, the 
water in which has been changed about twice a week. 
‘“The operations of the Fish Hatchery resulted in 
the liberation of upwards of eight millions of plaice 
larvee and over five thousand lobster larve. These figures 
indicate a substantial advance upon the work of any 
previous year. Some exceptionally low temperatures of 
the water in the spawning pond were recorded in January, 
the Fahrenheit thermometer registering 17° on the 25th 
and 26th. No consequent injury appears to have been 
done to the large stock of adult plaice beyond a slight 
retardation of the spawning season, and this was 
probably emphasised by the extraordinary severity of the 
weather in February. As will be seen from the subjoined 
figures some very large collections of eggs were frequently 
made during the spawning season. 
‘“ With regard to lobster culture it may be said that, 
though the results have still not attained any magnitude, 
a distinct step in advance has been made during the 
season, both as regards the number of larve hatched and 
set free in the sea and the possibility of rearing large 
numbers in the future. Further experiments with the 
wooden tank mentioned in last year’s Report yielded only 
negative results, though the propeller apparatus 
provided by Mr. Ashburner worked satisfactorily on the 
whole and kept the water in the tank in constant motion. 
At the beginning of July a number of lobster larve 
in the first stage escaped by some mischance from one 
of the hatching boxes and were carried by the waste 
water into the spawning pond. Here they passed nor- 
