18 TEANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The Mayor of Bootle, (Mr. J. Vicars.) proposed "The Isle of Man Natural 

 History and Antiquarian Society," Mr. A. W. Moore, President, and Mr. 

 Kermode, Secretary, acknowledged the toast. The former expressed the hope 

 that the investigations of the biologists might result in bringing back the 

 herring, which had deserted the island. 



His Excellency, in giving ' ' Success to the Liverpool Marine Biology Com- 

 mittee," said : I have ventured once to-day, already, to say something as to 

 the virtue of research for truth for truth's sake, but I do not know that such 

 research need hinder you also from research into those practical objects with 

 which the inhabitants of the Isle of Man and of the whole British Islands are 

 so closely identified. Mr. Moore has alluded to the disappearance of the 

 herring from these shores. I think that was an exaggerated form of words. 

 I ate one of them for breakfast this morning. (Laughter). But there is n9 

 subject to which Marine Biologists could better devote themselves than to 

 trace the causes which govern the migration of the herrings, considering how 

 those migrations do govern the prosperity of the fishermen. (Hear, hear.) 

 I need hardly remind you that there is no fish which produces so much wealth 

 to the United Kingdom as the herring, while in this Island the herring 

 assumes an absolutely national importance. We have toAvns in this Island 

 built out of the profits of the heriing fishery. We have large numbers of the 

 population dependent on the herring fishery ; and so strong is the connection 

 between the herring and the Island, that actually to this day, when we swear 

 in a new judge, we always require him to administer justice as evenly as the 

 backbone of the herring lies in the fish— (laughter) — a symbol which I may 

 say parenthetically, was, I imagine, draAvn by a fisherman and not by a scien- 

 tist, because there is some little doubt about whether the backbone does lie 

 evenly in the body of the herriug. (Laughter and applause). 



Now there is this that is remarkable about the herring. If you go to any 

 portion of the United Kingdom, or this Island, you will always hear come 

 plaints that the herring are disappearing, and if you examine any statistics 

 connected with the herring fishery, you will find that taking ten years by 

 ten years, the prodigious capture of the herring has gone on steadily increasing. 

 (Laughter). Facts, therefore, are rather opposed to theory in this case, and 

 in fact I know of nothing more instructive than to open the herring, or when 

 you are munching the hard roe, to try and count the number of eggs. 

 (laughter). 1 think for one when you have failed in that attempt, as you will 

 fail, you will find a new proof that the old fiat is as true as when it was first 

 pronounced, "let the waters bring forth abundantly the many creatures that 

 have life." Ikit if it is not true that the herring is decreasing, it is true that 

 there are variations in the migration of the herring, which are seriously 

 allecting the fishermen. (Hear, hear). If you ask the fishermen, you will 

 gather the most fanciful reasons for these migrations. I recollect once being 



