322 Notes and Comments. 
the good results obtained, he quoted the local sprat fishery 
established by local public spirit, ingenuity, and enterprise at 
Morecambe. During the height of the fishery fully seventy 
tons per day were landed in the winter. A ton of sprats averaged 
130,000, so that close on nine million sprats were captured 
per diem, and this went on day by day without any diminution 
of the fish. In his view, it would probably be just as important 
for some time after the war to prevent many from leaving this 
country, and for other reasons, such as the employment of men 
and the production of food, it was obviously desirable that home 
production should be organised and stimulated. The Chairman 
said that Professor Herdman’s illustrations of what had been 
accomplished at Morecambe and the Isle of Man were samples 
of what he had urged upon the Government to do generally, 
and what could be done on a much larger scale if the Treasury 
could only be persuaded to disgorge at a more generous rate 
for the home production of food supply. 
DEPOPULATION OF THE FISHING VILLAGES. 
An interesting survey of the coastal fisheries of Northumber- 
land, embodying the results of his investigations during the last 
twenty years, was given by Professor A. Meek. He said it was 
a matter of considerable gratification that the regulations had 
given not merely satisfaction to the authorities who had to en- 
force them, but to the fishermen themselves. The only reason- 
able objection that the inshore fishermen had to their more 
successful deep-sea rivals was with regard to the white fishing. 
But the longshore fishermen all told grave stories about che 
destruction of fish by the trawlers, the killing of young fish, 
and destroying the fishing grounds. When they came to inquire 
carefully into the question, they found the main cause of com- 
plaint was that the deep sea fisherman was really a successful 
competitor in the market. The war conditions had, however, 
given the inshore fisherman a chance with white fish. He felt, 
however, that in normal times it would pay the inshore fishermen 
to take a large share in the white fishing. The solution of the 
problems of the inshore fishermen lay deeper than this. They 
must not only preserve and extend their inshore fisheries, but 
must do something to encourage the longshoremen to remain 
in the villages. There was a marked tendency to the depletion 
of their seaside villages. It was deplorable, and unless we took 
stepS to arrest it there would be wide areas along the coast 
destitute of these interesting and important villages in the near 
future.’ 
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF COAL. 
A joint session of the Chemistry and Geology Sections was 
held to consider the investigation of the chemical and geological 
characters of different varieties cf coal, with a view to their 
