24 
that it will now, in the hght of the arguments as to the 
importance of such work which | have urged above, 
receive further consideration, and become as soon as 
possible an important part of the monthly work of the 
steamer. I reprint the scheme verbatim from the docu- 
ment privately issued in November : — 
* Laneashire and Western Sea Fisheries. 
“Dr. Herdman’s Scheme of Investigations. 
‘Preston, 1900. 
* To the Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries Commuttee. 
‘From Professor W. A. Herdman, D.Sc., F.R.S., 
‘“ University College, Liverpool, 
“ October, 1900. 
“If there is one point more than another that the 
numerous Fisheries Congresses and Enquiries of recent 
years have made quite clear, it is that what we now need 
most for a proper understanding of the condition of the 
Sea Fisheries of North-Western Europe is a much more 
detailed knowledge than we have of the populations of all 
parts of our seas. Such knowledge can only be obtained 
by trawlings and other observations conducted regularly, 
frequently, and according to a definite scheme. Accurate 
practical work of this kind is usually called * scientific 
investigation, but it must be remembered that science 1S 
merely organised common-sense: and that any observa- 
tions made accurately, and intelligently directed towards 
the ascertainment of facts, are scien'tific. The Select 
Committee of the House of Commons refused, last 
summer, to recommend the Sea Fisheries Bill because of 
the want of statistics based upon such ‘scientific investi- 
gations.’ It is thus evident that the systematic scientific 
investigation of our seas is of practical importance, and 
