Since the publication of the last paper a number of experiments have been made in connection with the Bait question. The object aimed at was to obtain some material which would serve as a medium for the application of some or other of the extracts prepared by the methods given in the previous report. A number of common substances were tried without success. The majority were either not sufficiently porous, or, if possessing that qualification, they lacked that strength and toughness which is absolutely necessary in a bait which must lie in the water for some hours.

It is this length of time which renders such materials as sponge, however fine, quite useless, since no extract, even if very much thickened, will remain in a piece of sponge more than a few minutes. Mr. Bateson in his report on this subject suggested the use of China clay; I tried a number of experiments with this, both dried and soft. In the latter case disintegration occurred at once, and the dried clay did not absorb sufficient extract to render it attractive; besides this, fish always reject any hard substance, even if it be made attractive with the smell of a favourite food. A somewhat promising material was obtained by boiling down skate skins until they were quite soft, and pressing them into blocks. The large amount of gelatine in these skins caused the fibres to adhere, forming a compact mass. This was somewhat porous and elastic, and took up a considerable amount of extract, but, like a number of other gelatine preparations, would not withstand the prolonged action of the water.