TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 711 



that shellfish can he reared iiuder certain conditions which promise tohe an industrial 

 success, then the matter should be carried out by the Qo^•ernment ' or by capitalists 

 on a sufficiently lai-ge scale to remove the risk of results being vitiated by tem- 

 porary accident or local variation in the conditions. It is contrary, however, to 

 our English traditions for Government to help in such a matter, and if our local 

 Sea-Fisheries Committees have not the necessary powers nor the available funds, 

 there remains a splendid opportunity for opulent landowners to erect sea-fish hatch- 

 eries on the shores of their estates, and for the rich merchants of our great cities to 

 establish aquiculture in their neighbouring estuaries, and by so doing instruct the 

 fishing populations, resuscitate the declining industries, and cultivate the barren 

 shores — in all reasonable probability to their own ultimate profit. 



In addition to the farming of our shores there is a great deal to be done in 

 promoting the fishing industries on the inshore and oft'shore grounds .along our 

 coast, and in connection with such work the first necessity is a thorough scientific 

 exploration of our British seas by means of a completely equipped dredging and 

 trawling expedition. Such exploration can only be done in little bits, spasmodi- 

 cally, by private enterprise. From the time of Edward Forbes it has been the 

 delight of British marine zoologists to explore, by means of dredging from yachts or 

 hired vessels during their holidays, whatever areas of the neighbouring seas were 

 open to them. Some of the greatest names in the roll of our zoologists, and some 

 of the most creditable work in British zoology, will always be associated with 

 dredging expeditions. Forbes, Wyville Thomson, Carpenter, Gwyn Jefireys, 

 M'Intosh, and Norman — one can scarcely think of them without recalling^ 



' Hurrah for the dredge, with its iron edge, 

 And its mystical triangle, 

 And its hided net, with meshes set. 

 Odd lishes to entangle ! ' ^ 



Much good pioneer work in exploration has been done in the past by these and 

 other naturalists, and much is now being done locally by committees or associa- 

 tions — by the Dublin Royal Society on the West of Ireland, by the Marine Biolo- 

 gical Association at Plymouth, by the Fishery Board iu Scotland, and by the 

 Liverpool Marine Biology Committee in the Irish Sea ; but few zoologists or 

 zoological committees have the means, the opportunity, the time to devote — along 

 with their professional duties — to that detailed systematic survey of our whole 

 British sea-area which is really required. Those who have not had exjierience of 

 it can scarcely realise how much time, energy, and money it requires to keep up a 

 series of dredging expeditions, how many delays, disappointments, expt^nsive acci- 

 dents and real hardships there are, and how often the naturalist is tempted to leave 

 unprofitable ground, which ought to be carefully worked over, for some more 

 favoured spot where he knows he can count upon good spoil. And yet it is 

 very necessary that the whole ground — good or bad though it may be from the 

 zoological point of view — should be thoroughly surveyed, physically aud biologi- 

 cally, in order that we may know the conditions of existence which en\iron our 

 fishes, on their feeding grounds, their spawning grounds, their ' nurseries,' or 

 wherever they may be. 



The British Government has done a noble piece of work which will redound to its 

 everlasting credit in providing for, and carrying out, the ' Challenger ' expedition. 

 Now that that great enterprise is completed, aud that the whole scientific world is 

 "united in appreciation of the results obtained, it would be a glorious consequence, 

 and surely a very wise action in the interests of the national fisheries, for the 

 Government to fit out an expedition, iu charge of two or thi'ee zoologists and fish- 



' We require in England a Central Board or Government Department of Fisheries, 

 composed in part of seienlitic experts, and that not merely for the purpose of 

 imposing and enforcing regulations, but still more, in order that research into Fish- 

 eries problems maj' be instituted and aquicultural experiments carried out. 



- The dredging song (see Memoir of I^dwanl Forbes, p. 247). 



