June 26, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



1017 



investigations as the latter body are willing 

 and able to carry out, but also tbemselves to 

 conduct investigations; and, further, that the 

 local fishery authorities and the authorities or 

 bodies who conduct or contribute to the ex- 

 penses of such investigations should be repre- 

 sented on a Central Fishery Council at the 

 Board of Trade, which council should have 

 general control over all such investigations. 



To give practical effect to this scheme the 

 committee recommends the constitution at the 

 Board of Trade of a Fishery Council for Eng- 

 land, consisting of one expert and one admin- 

 istrative member representing each of the three 

 coasts (E., S., and W.), together with such 

 official representative or representatives as the 

 department may nominate; the duty of this 

 council being to meet periodically, to formu- 

 late schemes of investigation, to make recom- 

 mendations as regards Governments grants, 

 to report on the knowledge acquired by the 

 researches made, and, generally, to exercise 

 control over the investigations. In order to 

 secure uniformity of action between scientific 

 bodies at work in the seas surrounding the 

 United Kingdom, and to prevent overlapping 

 of areas of research, the committee suggest 

 that there should be a conference consisting 

 of representatives of the three central au- 

 thorities to this extent only. The committee 

 propose that statutory powers should be given 

 to the local sea fisheries committees to expend 

 money on fishery research; and, recognizing 

 that on the east coast of England (except to 

 a small extent in Northumberland) there are 

 no local fisheries committees contributing to 

 the knowledge of fishery problems, they re- 

 commend that the Fishery Council for Eng- 

 land should itself conduct investigations on 

 that coast. The committee thinly, however, 

 that, if possible, the expenses of such investi- 

 gations should be partly borne by those who 

 are pecuniarily interested in them. 



Another point emphasized in the report is 

 the desirability of making provision at the 

 principal fishing ports of the United King- 

 dom for the collection of statistics on the 

 largest scale practicable for the purpose of 

 ascertaining the particulars of the fish landed 



and the place where they are caught. To 

 achieve this end the committee suggests that 

 arrangements should be made for the payment 

 of masters of fishing vessels for filling up 

 returns, and for the engagement of a staff 

 of trained assistants to deal with these re- 

 turns and with the samples landed and se- 

 lected for examination. In addition to the 

 research vessels possessed by the central au- 

 thority in Ireland and by the Marine Biolog- 

 ical Association at Plymouth, three special 

 steamers should, the committee think, be pro- 

 vided to study definite sea areas, one to work 

 on the east coast, a second along the west 

 coast of England, and a third to replace the 

 Garland on the coasts of Scotland. If the 

 plan formulated by the committee finds ap- 

 proval, each of these steamers will work in 

 connection with a biological laboratory; and 

 each laboratory (in addition to those already 

 established in Scotland and Ireland) will have- 

 three biological assistants, while another as- 

 sistant will be stationed at the office of the 

 central authority in each country. The com- 

 mittee explain that the laboratories at Liver- 

 pool and Port Erin (Isle of Man) would 

 meet the wants of the west coast, while that 

 at Plymouth would suffice for the south coast. 

 It would be necessary, however, to establish a 

 new laboratory at some central point on the- 

 east coast of England. 



Finally, the committee expresses the view 

 that benefit would be derived from the estab- 

 lishment of a National Fishery Museum, 

 which had best be placed at a great fishing 

 center, such, for example, as Grimsby. In 

 this museum might be exhibited such of the 

 specimens of the Buckland collection as are 

 worth preserving; and, it is added, "perhaps 

 it would be found possible to apply Mr. Buck- 

 land's monetary bequest for the purpose of 

 such a museum, which might very appropri- 

 ately be united with the proposed laboratory 

 for the east coast." The original chairman 

 of the committee was Sir Herbert Maxwell, 

 M.P., but he resigned the post last May, since 

 when the inquiry has proceeded under the 

 presidency of Sir Colin Campbell Scott-Mon- 

 crieff, whose name appears first amongst the 

 signatories to the report. 



