I903- i 47 



A PROPOSED MARINE IvABORATORY FOR UI^STER. 



BY PROFESvSOR GRKGG WILSON, D.SC. 



As was mentioned in the Irish Nahiralht for January, it is 

 proposed to establish a marine laboratory somewhere on the 

 coast of Ulster. There seems to be a widespread feeling in 

 Belfast and the neighbourhood that the study of the fauna 

 and flora of the northern parts of the Irish coast has been 

 too much neglected of late, and what is equally important, 

 there seems to be a desire on the part of many of the field- 

 naturalists of Belfast to turn to, and do some good work at 

 the "harvest of the sea." A considerable number of the 

 members of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical 

 Society and of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club are enthu- 

 siastically supporting the establishment of the proposed 

 marine laboratory. It would appear that a very natural 

 ambition has arisen to fill some of the gaps in the fauna and 

 flora lists of the admirable recent British Association Guide 

 to Belfast. 



Besides those who regard the proposal merely from the 

 point of view of the naturalist, there are, however, not a few 

 who look to the suggested station as likely to be of impor- 

 tance in connection with the fisheries of Ireland. In almost 

 every civilised country that has fisheries worth caring for, 

 efforts are being made to obtain a thorough knowledge of the 

 numbers, distribution, habits, and life-histories of the fishes, 

 molluscs, crustaceans, and other forms that are used for food 

 or as bait. Even the organisms that are consumed by the 

 food-fishes are studied as being of importance — eg., in deter- 

 mining to some extent the movements of the fishes. Moreover, 

 the enemies of the fishes, and of animals used as bait, and of 

 the food of fishes are no less regarded as worthy of attention. 

 This being so, it appears to many that similar work should 

 be carried on to a greater extent than it is at present in 

 Ireland. Undoubtedly, Mr. Holt and his assistants are doing 

 good work ; but it is chiefly in the South and West, and 



