TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 675 



invariably present, and materially assist if they are not actually necessary for 

 the maintenance of the most suitable balance of life in these waters. The time 

 has come when an inquiry should be made of the organisms other than bacteria 

 that are normally present both in the waters at the sewage works and in the large 

 reservoirs which supply cities with drinking-water. 



I may be allowed here to quote two cases that have recently come under my 

 notice which will show the kind of work that might be done and the nature of 

 the results which may be expected to follow such an inquiry. 



Some years ago complaints were made that the water supplied by the borough of 

 Burnley had an ofi'ensive smell. This smell was of such a nature that it was 

 impossible to use the water for the manufacture of soda-water. 



The smell was traced to the Hecknest reservoir, where the common water snail, 

 LhnncEa peregra, was present in enormous numbers. The problem to be solved 

 was how to destroy or reduce the numbers of the Limnsea without interfering in 

 other respects with the purity of the water. The authorities of the corporation 

 asked the advice of a trained zoologist, who made certain recommendations which 

 were adopted, and at a minimum cost the nuisance was abated, and during the .six 

 years that have elapsed has not recurred. I will not detain you witli a full 

 description of the cause and the cure of this particular pest, but I may say that 

 the recommendations that were made were based on the knowledge of the life habits 

 and reproduction of the Limntea, and were therefore of a purely zoological character. 

 Two years ago the Chairman of the Water Committee of the Corporation of 

 Manchester reported that the mains had become partially choked by the growth 

 of an organism which he called a ' moss.' No less than 700 tons of this 

 ' moss ' were removed from the mains by a laborious and expensive process. 

 It is not necessary for me to inform this Section that the organism was not a moss. 

 It was probably not even a vegetable, but an animal belonging to one of the 

 genera of fresh-water Polyzoa. In this case, however, so far as I am aware, not 

 only were no steps taken to identify the organism, but no investigations were 

 made to discover its origin or to prevent the return of the trouble in the future. 

 I could give you several other examples which show that our ignorance of the 

 general balance of animal and vegetable life in the large reservoirs is profound, 

 and that a systematic inquiry conducted by competent persons would most 

 certainly lead to knowledge which would be of great scientific importance, and in 

 the long run remunerative to the community. 



I do not think that we can expect that any one of the municipal authorities 

 will feel justified in bearing the cost of such an investigation. The problems that 

 one corporation has to face are very much the same as those that others have 

 met; and each corporation hopes to profit by the successful and neglect the 

 unsuccessful experiments of its neighbours. An investigation such as this, which 

 is really for the benefit of the whole community, should be conducted by a central 

 authority at the public expense. 



The scientific investigation of the problems that are connected with the 

 maintenance and extension of our sea fisheries is anotlier matter that requires 

 the very careful attention of the zoologists of the present day. The valuable worlc 

 that has already been done by the officers of the British Marine Biological 

 Association, the Lancashire Sea Fisheries Committee, the Scottish Fishery Board, 

 and other bodies is of a nature sufficiently encouraging to ju.stify us in asking for 

 the necessary means and appliances for still further developments of the inquiry. 

 There is, however, a great need for a free discussion by those who are competent 

 to speak on the subject to determine and, if possible, to come to some conclusion 

 uponthe question of the best and most profitable lines that the inquiry should 

 take in the immediate future, and the establishment of such co-operation as is 

 necessary by the diflferent authorities to prevent dui)lication where it is unnecessary, 

 and simultaneous observations of similar phenomena on difi'erent parts of the 

 coast when it is considered desirable. The report of the Committee on Ichthyo- 

 logical Research, 1902, has shown that there is already in this country a good 

 deal of activity in various branches of investigation of the fisheries problems, but 

 the authorities are not on all points in agreement as to the best plan or course to 



XX2 



