January,
February,
March,  -
April,     -
May,      -

660,000

10,320,000

22,040,000

6,580,000

•  •

1-6
261
55-7
16-4

•   •

0-3
180
56-2
241

1-3

It  will  thus  be  seen,  as  above  indicated,  that  spawning  was,  on  the
whole,  a  little  earlier  in  1904  than  in  1903,  nearly  28  per  cent,  of  the
aggregate  number  of  eggs  being  collected  before  March  in  the  former
year,  as  compared  with  18  per  cent,  in  the  same  period  in  the  latter  year.
The  estimated  number  of  fry  which  were  obtained  from  the  eggs
amounted  to  34,780,000,  and  they  wore  liberated  in  seven  lots  at
various  dates  in  March,  April,  and  May,  off  Aberdeen  Bay,  a  fishing
yawl  being  employed  for  the  purpose.
Particulars  as  to  the  collection  of  eggs  from  the  pond  and  the  libera-
tion of  the  fry  will  be  found  in  the  tables  which  are  appended.
The  expense  of  the  hatching  operations  as  carried  on  at  the  Bay  of
Nigg  is  small,  compared  with  the  number  of  fry  produced.  This  is
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  hatchery  is  worked  in  conjunction  with  the
Marine  Laboratory^  for  which  pumping  operations  are  required
throughout  the  year.  The  annual  expenditure  that  may  be  ascribed  to
the  hatching  work  is  about  £100,  the  principal  items  being  the  main-
tenance of  the  apparatus,  food  for  the  fishes,  and  extra  coals.
The  hatchery  was  visited  by  delegations  of  fishermen  sent  for  instruc-
tion by  the  County  Councils  of  Aberdeenshire  and  Argyllshire,  to  whom
a  series  of  demonstrations  was  given.
[Tablbs.
122  Part  Ill.—I^mity-third  Annval  Sqiort

TABLE  I.— Showing  the  Daily  Progress  of  the  H&tohing  Operatioiu,
aod  the  Temperature  of  the  Water,  during  the  Hatching
Season  1904.
^  the  Fithery  Board  for  SeoUand.
TABLE  l.—emuinmti.
