INTERNATIONAL FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS. 385 



191 tons gross, for a period of three years from August 21 si, 1 002. Some 

 difificnUy was experienced in obtaining a vessel suitable for the work with 

 the funds available, l)ut the Council had the good fortune to be assisted 

 in the matter by one of its members, ]\Ir. G. P. Bidder, who purchased the 

 " Huxley " from her former owners and let her to the Association upon 

 very favourable terms. The alterations required to fit her for the work 

 of scientific exploration were made to the vessel, suitable cabins for the 

 use of the naturalists were built in the fish hold, and a small laboratory 

 was provided on deck. The " Huxley " made her first voyage to the 

 fishing grounds on November 1st, 1902. Since that time she has been 

 constantly employed in the North Sea and English Channel, and has 

 proved suitable and efficient for the work required of her. 



To carry out the North Sea work adequately, the Council found it 

 necessary to establish a laboratory on the east coast of England. After 

 careful consideration, and in view of the area in which the investigations 

 were for the most part to be conducted, the port of Lowestoft was 

 selected as the one ottering the best facilities. Prenn'ses were hired near 

 the trawl-market and fitted out temporarily to suit the requirements of 

 the work. The laboratory work connected with the investigations in the 

 English Channel has been done in the Association's laboratory at 

 Plymouth, their steamer "Oithona" being used to make the observations 

 at sea during the summer months, whilst for the winter observations 

 the " Huxley " has come round from the North Sea. 



The detailed memoirs prepared by the naturalists to whom the 

 carrying out of the ditterent portions of the investigations has been 

 assigned are printed in the present volume. These memoirs deal chieHy 

 with the work done during the first year of the commission of the 

 Association (1Q03), though certain special experiments carried out in 

 the second year (1904) also receive attention. 



In considering the record of results contained in these memoirs, it is 

 first of all essential to remember that they deal witli operations under- 

 taken in connection with one portion only of an extensive scheme 

 of co-operative work. They must therefore be looked upon primarily 

 as a statement of observed facts, contributed to the common stock of 

 information which is being gradually brought together. For this reason 

 it has bet;n necessary to print the records of observations in considerable 

 detail and in a form which shall be as convenient as possible for the 

 use of (itlier workers, but until the work dont; in other countries 

 has been published in a similar way and the whole of the observations 

 have been duly co-ordinated and considered, it will not be [)ossible to 

 estimate the results derived from the international undertaking. 



At the same time, considering the English work alone, as it is set 

 forth in the .series of special reports by the naturalists, the Council of 



