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Notes on the Physical Conditions existing within the 

 Line from Start Point to Portland. 



By 

 H. M. Kyle, D.Sc. 



During the trawling work of the past year within and around the 

 bays on the south coast of Devon, my attention was drawn to the 

 peculiar phenomena displayed by the tides and currents in Start Bay, 

 and a subsequent endeavour to trace their connections and conse- 

 quences led to a wider survey of the region within the line from Start 

 to Portland. The bottom samples brought up by the trawl and lead 

 afiforded excellent opportunities of ascertaining the nature and dis- 

 tribution of the different soils, and thus of tracing out their changes 

 during the seasons. My own observations, moreover, were supple- 

 mented by those of the friendly Brixham fishermen, who had many 

 years' experiences behind them. Their theories, it is true, were some- 

 what numerous and divergent, as becomes such an energetic and in- 

 dependent race, but the phenomena were described with a wonderful 

 definiteness and unanimity. Knowledge of the bottom-soil — its changes 

 through the month and year — and of the tidal phenomena is absolutely 

 essential to the fisherman because his living depends upon it, so that 

 one need not be surprised at, though appreciating, the great accuracy 

 with which they can tell where they are and what they should catch 

 in their trawls from a brief examination of the soil brought up by 

 the lead. 



In addition to the records of the trawl and lead, dredgings were 

 taken in the usual manner by means of a canvas bag laced inside the 

 ordinary dredge, but these were comparatively few in number. The 

 region under investigation is an awkward one as regards weather even 

 in the best of years, and the weather of the past year was exceptional 

 in its severity. The result was that the limited time at our disposal 

 was shortened on every occasion throughout the year, and the offshore 

 grounds were only partially investigated. I am obliged, therefore, to 

 rely on the Admiralty charts for the areas not investigated, but of the 



