105 
the advisability of prohibiting Mussels being removed for 
human food: but there are other places where—although 
sewage outfalls are nearer the Mussel Beds than one could 
wish—the deposit is mixed with a large quantity of water, 
and there is no direct evidence that the fish are in anyway 
polluted. To my mind it would be of assistance in safe- 
guarding the public if samples of Mussels were regularly 
sent to the Laboratories, examined by experts, and when 
found polluted the Sea Fishery Committees should have 
power to temporarily close the bed pending further action 
by the different County Authorities, Local Government 
Board, or Board of Trade.” 
It will be seen that in this report, made in October, 
1908, Mr. Dawson recommends that when samples of 
mussels were found to be polluted the Sea Fisheries 
Committees should have power to temporarily close beds 
pending further action by County and Central authorities. 
As a result of Mr. Dawson's report, samples of mussels 
from the Mersey were sent to the Liverpool Sea Fisheries 
Laboratory for inspection, and I give below the report 
which I sent in as the result of Mr. Johnstone’s bacterio- 
logical examination. This report has also been laid before 
the Committee and made public, and has been submitted 
to Lord Onslow at the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. 
Bacteriological Report on Mussels collected at Rock Ferry, 
on 4th November, 1903. 
“The mussels brought to the laboratory were rather 
small, and the fish were very thin and soft. The mantles, 
or parts of the body where the spawn should be developing 
rapidly at this time of the year, were very thin. ‘The 
byssus or ‘ weed’ was very easily torn away. ()uite apart 
from the question of sewage contamination, the fish were in 
very poor condition as articles of-food. 
