KEPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 329 



A large number of hauls have been made in the Channel during the 

 year with a Petersen young-fish trawl, which has proved very success- 

 ful in capturing larval, post-larval and young stages of fishes. Mr, 

 A. E. Hefford is engaged in the study of this material, and is also study- 

 ing the different aspects of the fisheries in the south-western district. 



Mr. G. E. Bullen has continued his study of the food of the mackerel 

 and other migratory fishes, and has prepared a report on the subject 

 which will soon be published in the Journal. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson has continued a series of experiments, which had 

 been commenced by Dr. E. J. Allen, on " pure cultures " of Planktonic 

 Diatoms and Algse, in connection with the rearing of pelagic larvae of 

 fish and invertebrata. 



Mr. C. L. Walton was temporarily engaged at the Laboratory from 

 October to January, devoting his time chiefly to the study of the local 

 Actinise, and an account of some of his observations has been published 

 in the last number of the Journal. 



An exhibit of tow-nets, trawls, dredges, etc., is being shown by the 

 Association in the Hall of Science at the Franco- British Exhibition. 



The International Fishery Investigations. 



The following is a summary of the work done, and of the conclusions 

 arrived at by the scientific staff working under the direction of the 

 Council. 



Section I.— NORTH SEA WORK. 

 A. WOEK OF THE S.S. "HUXLEY." 



Trawling Investigations. — From June 1st, 1907, to the end of May, 

 1908, the Huxley made 9 voyages, in the course of which 176 hauls of 

 the commercial trawls were made, together with 347 hauls of various 

 smaller nets and other gear. The total number of voyages made by 

 the Huxley from the commencement of the investigations to the present 

 date is 99 ; the total number of hauls made with commercial trawls is 

 1254, that with smaller gear 1153. 



In the spring of this year trawling investigations, which it is pro- 

 posed to repeat at quarterly intervals throughout the year, were carried 

 out at certain selected positions and along a line already trawled in the 

 spring of 1905 and 1906 and the summer of 1905. In this work the 

 ordinary commercial trawls, the Beam trawl covered with fine meshed 

 netting as described in the last report, and various smaller nets, were 

 used, the hauls being made as strictly comparable in time and place as 

 is possible under the unavoidable difficulties of marine work. 



