Director's Report

Extract

The various researches detailed in my last Report, which are being conducted by the Association's Naturalists, have been continued during the winter. Mr. Garstang has been chiefly occupied in investigations relating to the migratory pelagic fishes, giving special attention to the characteristics of mackerel from different localities, some 1500 of these fish having been subjected to detailed examination in the course of this enquiry. The samples of mackerel have been obtained from the south-west of Ireland (through H.M. Inspectors of Irish Fisheries), from the North Sea and from America, in addition to those captured near Plymouth. As the results so far obtained refer only to the autumn fish, it has been thought better to defer their publication until after the coming spring fishery, when further samples from the same localities, as well as from the Mediterranean and from Norway, will be examined.

Mr. Garstang has also given much time to working out the results of the drift-bottle experiments, a report of which for the year 1897 will be found at p. 199. These experiments have proved more interesting and successful than we had anticipated when they were undertaken, and we purpose continuing and extending them during the coming year.

Mr. Holt's papers in the present number of the Journal represent but a portion of the many observations which he has been able to make during the year on the eggs and larvæ of fishes. He has also given much attention to the question of the distribution of fish at different ages in this neighbourhood.