8 FISHES AND FISHERIES OF THE IRISH SEA. 



free. Dozens were let off from time to time from the Isle of Man steam in crossing- to 

 Douglas and back, at intervals of quarter of an hour, and from our trawlers when dredging 1 

 between Port Erin and Ireland. Several dozen have been let off from Mr. Alfred Holt's 

 steamers in going" round to Holyhead and in coming down from Greenock. Our fishery 

 steamer "John Fell" has distributed a number along the coast in the northern part of 

 the district, and others have been set free at stated intervals during the rise and fall of the 

 tide from the Morecambe Bay Light Ship in the northern part of our area, north of the 

 ''head of the tide," and from the Liverpool North-west Light Ship to the south of the 

 "head of the tide." Others, finally, have been despatched by Mr. R. L. Ascroft, 

 by Mr. Andrew Scott, and by various members of the Committee in other parts of the 

 area from small boats and on our dredging expeditions, in some cases, between the Isle of 

 Man and Ireland. Altogether we have pretty well covered this northern area of the Irish 

 Sea in our distribution of floating bottles. 



The details of the bottles found and returned have been reported on in our 

 Laboratory Reports for 1895 anc * 1896, from which we copy the following particulars: 

 Over 42 per cent. more than 2 out of every 5 of the bottles have come back to us. They 

 come from various parts of the coast of the Irish Sea Scotland, England, Wales, Isle of 

 Man, and Ireland. Some of the bottles have gone quite a short distance, having 

 evidently been taken straight ashore by the rising tide ; while others have been blown 

 ashore by the wind, e.g., two (post cards 211 and 214) let off near New Brighton stage on 

 gth October, 1895, the tide ebbing and the wind N.N.W. , were found next day near the 

 Red Noses, i mile to the west. Others have been carried an unexpected length, e.g. , one 

 (No. 35), set free near the Crosby Light Ship, off Liverpool, at 12.30 p.m., on October 

 ist, was picked up at Saltcoats, in Ayrshire, on November yth, having travelled a distance 

 of at least 180 miles* in thirty seven days ; another (H. 20) was set free near the Skerries, 

 Anglesey, on October 6th, and was picked up one mile north of Ardrossan, on November 

 yth, having travelled 150 miles in thirty-one days ; and bottle No. i, set free at the 

 Liverpool Bar on September 30, was picked up at Shiskin, Arran, about 165 miles off, on 

 November i2th. On the other hand, a bottle (J. F. 34) set free on November yth, in the 

 Ribble Estuary, was picked up on November i2th at St. Anne's, having gone only 4 

 miles. 



It may be doubted whether our numbers are sufficiently large to enable us to draw 

 very definite conclusions. It is only by the evidence of large numbers that the vitiating 

 effect of exceptional circumstances, such as an unusual gale, can be eliminated. Prevailing 

 winds, on the other hand, such as would usually affect the drift of surface organisms, are* 

 amongst the normally acting causes which we are trying to ascertain. Mr. W. E. Plummer, 

 of the Bidston Observatory, has kindly given us access to his records of weather during 

 the periods in question, and we have noted opposite the bottles, from whose travels we 

 are drawing any conclusions, an approximate estimate of the wind influences .during the period 

 when the bottle may have been at sea. There have been a few rather extraordinary journeys, 

 e.g., one let off in the middle of Port Erin Bay, on April 23rd, was found at Fleetwood on 

 July 6th ; another let off at Bradda Head, on June 3rd, was found on Pilling Sands (near 

 Fleetwood), on July 24th. 



* More probably, very much further, as during that time it would certainly be carried backwards and 

 forwards by the tide. 



