191 '• hish Societies, 145 



the plankton has of recent years become very important, and many 

 biological problems, both economic and scientific, are awaiting solution, 

 when the results of detailed research are known. Thus the great question 

 of the food of fishes, and indirectly therefore the food of man, is bound 

 up with the plankton. Many fishes feed directly on these small organisms 

 floating in the water. Other fishes feed on somewhat larger animals, but 

 even these depend indirectly on planktonic life, which forms the last link 

 between the minerals dissolved in the water and the complex organic 

 compounds devoured by the lowest animals. Amongst the microscopic 

 animals there is a continued struggle, the larger and better-armed feeding 

 upon the smaller and weaker, and the plankton caught at any time repre- 

 sents in fact the results of the conflict. The constitution of the plankton 

 depends, however, in addition to this, on meteorological conditions. We 

 find plankton present in Lough Neagh in great abundance all the year 

 round, but the organisms are by no means the same at different seasons. 

 There are some characteristic winter forms ; others appear first in spring, 

 and soon become very abundant and then die off towards summer. All 

 the interesting changes can only be followed by an investigation of the 

 water at regular intervals through a period of at least one year. As 

 far as the plankton is concerned, the water of Lough Neagh is very 

 prolific. For the whole year there is a total volume of plankton produced, 

 per cubic metre, which exceeds that of the water of the Irish Sea. This 

 plankton is very similar in character to that of some North European 

 lakes and differs considerably from that of the Scottish lochs and lakes 

 of the English Lake District. The resemblance to certain North German 

 lakes is still further increased by the presence of Mysis relicta, which 

 though not strictly speaking a planktonic organism,, must be considered 

 with the plankton. Whereas on land the most productive regions are in 

 the tropics, the conditions are reversed in the water, and both fresh water 

 lakes as well as the seas and oceans in temperate and Arctic regions are 

 far more productive, as far as plankton and fish life is concerned, than 

 tropical waters. 



March 29. — Archaeological Section. — Mrs. Hobson read a paper 

 entitled " The ' Fogous ' and other Cornish antiquities." The paper, which 

 was illustrated by lantern slides, was followed by an interesting discussion. 



April 25. — The President (Robert J. Welch, M.R.I. A.) in the chair. 

 F. Balfour Browne, M.A., F.Z.S., presented his report as delegate to 

 the Corresponding Societies' Conference of the British Association. A 

 discussion followed upon points raised in the delegates' report, in which 

 the President, Dr. Dwerryhouse, N. H. Foster and H. L. Orr joined. 

 J. A. S. Stendall read a paper on " Rare old Chester." 



April 28 — Annual Meeting. — The President (Robert J. Welch) 

 in the chair. The Hon. Secretary (A. W. Stelfox) read the forty- 

 eighth annual report. During the season just ended twenty new members 

 were elected, of whom eighteen have qualified for membership by paying 

 the necessary fees. Against this there have been seven deaths and 

 twenty-two resignations, leaving the membership of the Club on ist 

 April, 191 1, at 386. The death of S. A. Stewart, one of the five founders 



