September 9, 1909] 



NA TURE 



323 



were capable of resisting the damage to a greater extent 

 tlian tliose of smaller size, and the relative resistance of 

 the two sexes varied at different sizes, the male showing 

 a decline in the increase of its vigour as it approaches 

 maturity. One factor which is very deleterious to the fish 

 is the presence of jellyfish in the trawl ; these either smother 

 the fish or possibly sting them to death ; at any rate, the 

 mortality of the fish is enormously increased when 

 medusa; are present in any numbers. The otter-trawl is 

 also far more harmful than the beam-trawl, and exposure 

 on deck to a hot sun is another constant source of death, 

 one hour's such exposure in one series of experiments 

 killing 99 per cent, of the smaller fish. In the ordinary 

 commercial operation of trawling, whilst the fish are being 

 sorted those that have no market value lie about on the 

 •deck of the vessel for at least an average period of one 

 hour ; hence it is extremely probable that when shovelled 

 overboard practically all are dead or dying. 

 • The work which has been done by our own special 

 steamer has been supplemented by . records carefully kept 

 by certain selected captains of commercial trawlers, which 

 sail from Grimsby or from Lowestoft. In this way the 

 details of soma 20,000 hauls have been examined, and their 

 results tabulated by Miss Lee. 



1 have left myself no time to describe the important 

 hydrographica! investigations carried on by Mr. Mathews 

 into salinity, temperature, &c., which show us the conflict- 

 ing currents at the mouth of the English Channel and 

 how the North Sea in its southern part is supplied with 

 water from the .Atlantic through the Channel. The curious 

 ebb and flow of the Gulf Stream, its periodic welling up 

 and subsidence, closely connected as they seem to bo with 

 the migrations of the herring, cod, and haddock shoals, is 

 another most important matter of investigation. 



Neither can I tell you in detail of the immense amount 

 of work which is being done by the other countries which 

 share in the international scheme, by the .Scottish Fishery 

 Board, the pioneer in Great Britain of this sort of research. 

 To the west our Channel work is beginning to get into 

 iouch with the more recently established Irish Fishery 

 Board, and with the work carried on undt-r the direction 

 ■of Prof. Herdman in the Irish seas. 



The outcome of all this minute and continuous investi- 

 gation will, in time, tell us whether or no the North Sea 

 fisheries are being exploited in the most profitable way — 

 a very important question for our country, for with a 

 fishing fleet of 27,000 vessels, manned by 90,000 fishermen, 

 who land 900,000 tons of fish a year, valued at 10,000,000/., 

 Great Britain takes 90 per cent, of what is caught in the 

 North Sea. Some statistics indicate that there is a falling 

 off. The steam trawlers in 1905 landed 25,000 tons of 

 fish less than in 1904, and in 1904 there was a similar 

 shortage on the total of 1903. And yet 1903 was a year 

 in which some crisis took place ; the growth of the 

 haddocks and the number of young haddocks were far 

 less than normal, the Norwegian cod fisheries sank to a 

 minimum, the French statistics showed the same feature 

 in their fisheries off Iceland. In 1903, however, there were 

 unusually large numbers of small plaice. The polar ice- 

 field pressed down south, and seals, cetacea, and arctic 

 birds left their usual quarters, and came south in some 

 cases so far as Shetland. The gigantic climatic changes 

 indicated by the above undoubtedly disturbed for a time 

 the rate of increase and the rate of growth of the fish 

 population of the North .Sea, but they soon returned to 

 their normal state. Compared with such mighty influences 

 the fisliing activity of man seems almost negligible, and 

 Dr. Hjort for one thinks that " the productiveness of fish " 

 " may be regarded as independent of the interference or 

 fisheries of man." I am not sure that this is so. Taking 

 large areas and all fish into consideration, it may be true; 

 especially it would seem to be so of some species, such as 

 the herring, "the saithe, and the cod; but in certain areas 

 and with certain fish, such as the sole and the plaice, 

 man's activity has undoubtedly decreased the number. 



.'\ltliough the researches of the' last few years have 

 immensely increased our knowledge of what is going on 

 in the sea, they have, like an ever-widening circle, but 

 increased the number of problems ■ which await solution. 

 It is earnestly to be hoped that the work may go on on at 

 least its present basis. The business man, always on the 



NO. 20S0, VOL. 81] 



outlook for a dividend, has sometimes complained that 

 some of our inquiries do not seem to him practical, but 

 he must have patience and faith. A few years ago no 

 knowledge could seem so useless to the practical man, no 

 research more futile than that which sought to distinguish 

 between one species of a gnat or tick and another ; yet 

 to-day we know that this knowledge has rendered it 

 possible to open up Africa and to cut the Panama Canal. 



And here, if I may quote the words of the author of the 

 Maccabees : 



" And here will I make an end." 



" And if I have done well, as is fitting the story, it is 

 that which I desired ; and if slenderly and meanly, it is that 

 which I could attain unto. . . . And as wine mingled with 

 water is pleasant and delighteth the taste : even so speech, 

 finely framed, delighteth the ears of them that read the 

 story." 



" And here shall be an end." 



SECTION E. 



geography. 



Opening Address by Colonel Sir Duncan Johnston, 



K.C.M.G.,. C.B., R.E., F.R.G.S., F.G.S., President 



OF THE Section. 



It has been usual for Presidents of this Section to make 

 some allusion in their addresses to the principal matters 

 of geographical interest which have occurred during the 

 preceding year, and I propose to follow this custom before 

 proceeding with the rest of my address, which would 

 hardly be complete without some allusion to the great 

 geographical achievements of the past year. 



I doubt if there has ever been a year in which more 

 important additions to geographical knowledge have been 

 made than those resulting from the journeys of Dr. Sven 

 Hedin, Dr. Stein and Lieut. Shackleton. 



Dr Sven Hedin 's previous explorations had deservedly 

 gained him such a high reputation as an e.xplorer that it 

 seemed almost impossible for him to increase it, yet his 

 recent expedition in Tibet, extending over two years, has 

 enhanced his already great reputation. 



Refused permission to enter Tibet from India, he was 

 not to be deterred. Travelling round to Leh and making 

 that place his starting point, he entered Tibet and traversed 

 in various directions a considerable tract, previously un- 

 explored, of that country, making a good reconnaissance 

 survey of the country he passed through. 



A large part of his journey was through a bleak and 

 inhospitable region, where he encountered intense cold and 

 very great privations. At one time he went for e'ghfy- 

 thiee days without meeting a living soul, and the cold and 

 hardships were such that out of ninety-seven ponies and 

 mules with which he started only six came through. \et 

 in the following year, in the depth of winter. Dr. Sven 

 Hedin again traversed this terrible country. In doing so 

 he ran imminent risk of starvation, as his last sheep was 

 killed a considerable time before he got through to country 

 where he could obtain fresh supplies. 



Dr Sven Hedin 's tact and resource were as great as his 

 fortitude and courage. He made friends wherever he 

 went, and, although the Tibetan Government sent orders 

 over and over again that he should be turned back, he 

 succeeded in spending two years in exploring the country, 

 maintaining the most friendly relations with the Govern- 

 ment otTicials and others whom he met. Besides exploring 

 and surveying a large tract of previously unexplored 

 country, he investigated the sources of the Brahmaputra, 

 the Indus, and the Sutlej, and in the course of his journeys 

 he accumulated a mass of geographical and other scientific 

 information. 



Next comes Dr. Stein's expedition to Chinese Turkestan, 

 by which he has made a most noteworthy contribution to 

 geographical knowledge and antiquarian research. ■ 



Dr. -Stein, accompanied by that capable surveyor Rai 

 Ram Singh, who was later on relieved by that eaually 

 skilful and energetic surveyor Rai Sahib Lai Singh, 

 travelled from India vih Chi'tral and Kashgar. He com- 

 menced survey work in the eastern part of the Miistagh-ata 

 range, and carried it along the Kun Lun Mountains, skirt- 



