COMMITTEE B — DECEMBER 1903 { 16 ) 
fish, and (3) questions connected with the capture of undersized fish. Concerning the 
first point, they had now obtained from their first year’s work a general idea of the 
distribution of the species and sizes of fish over the North Sea area. The second point 
was not obligatory upon all the co-operating countries; bnt a thorough investigation 
of the small fish grounds was laid upon them as a primary object of their work. He 
therefore asked the Committee to consider whether they might not devote special 
attention to this problem. He would propose that they should now take specially 
in hand the exploration of the eastern part of the North Sea, from Jutland to 
Texel, and subject this region to regular biological investigation on fixed stations, 
which should be as numerous as possible and be investigated as often as possible 
next year. Each country should select certain portions which it would be prepared 
to visit at regular intervals, so that a large body of reliable evidence might be 
available at the end of the year as to the abundance and sizes of fish on these 
grounds. | 
(10) The last point he had to bring before them was a letter from the 
Bureau asking him as Convener to state what statistics, governmental land other, 
were required for the work of the Committee. As the letter was only recently 
received, he had thought it best to lay it before the Committee, as his answer 
must to a large extent depend upon the views they expressed concerning the 
various proposals he had brought before them. 
(11) In conclusion he wished to add that Dr. Furron had a proposal to 
make concerning the use of drift bottles to determine the direction and the strength 
of the current on the spawning grounds of fishes; and Dr. Reprxn on the investiga- 
tion of fishing grounds at successive depths. 
Dr. Horx thanked the Convener for his address, and expressed the opinion 
that the programme laid before them by the Convener was too elaborate for 
settlement within the space of a few days. He therefore asked the Committee to 
choose those points which could be treated immediately, leaving the other items to 
be dealt with at Hamburg in February. 
The meeting then adjourned at 12.45 p. m. and was reopened at 2 p. m. 
Dr. Hork, in reopening the proceedings, expressed the opinion that, as the 
members were already provided with Mr. Garstane’s special reports on the trawling 
investigations, they might proceed at once to point (3) on the Agenda. 
This was agreed to. 
