758 Proceedings of the Roxjal Irish Academy. 



Dredging. 



Scope of the Work. — During our first visit to Yalencia, in the spring 

 of 1895, dredging was conducted entirely from a row-boat, and for the 

 most part by our own labour. Our operations were in consequence 

 practically confined to tbe sheltered waters of the harbour. Attempts 

 were indeed made to dredge outside whenever the state of the sea per- 

 mitted a small boat to ventui'e into Doulus Bay, where depths of 20 fms. 

 and more are readily accessible. But we found the bottom hopelessly 

 rough, and our results^ were absolutely ?iil, except on one occasion 

 when the dredge apparently pitched on a small patch of sand among 

 the rocks (though it fouled immediately) for a coujjle of Spatajigus and 

 one Ecliinocardium pennatijidum were brought up. 



During our second visit, in the summer of 1896, dredging was again 

 extensively carried on in the harbour, and in addition an attempt was 

 made to explore the deeper water outside with the aid of a grant fr-om 

 the Koyal Society of London. Oiu' endeavours in this direction did 

 not meet with a large measure of success. In the first place we were 

 unable to obtain the services of a sea-going steamer. JS'egotiations 

 with the owners of the only suitable vessel to be heard of on that part 

 of the coast having fallen through,- a sailing trawler of about 30 tons, 

 the St. Patrick of Dingle, was engaged for one month. 



Xow apart fr'om the length of time occupied in getting out and 

 home, a sailing vessel has very obvious disadvantages. There is so 

 fr'equently either too much wind for dredging or too little ; and this is 

 particularly so in the west of Ireland, where the prevailing southerly 

 and westerly winds soon raise a swell which renders dredging very 

 difficult. Taking advantage of every favourable day, the St. Patrick 

 was only able during the month to go out of the harbour on seven 

 days, and on two of these it was impossible to dredge from lack of 

 wind. Again, fr-om our experience of fishermen in other parts of 

 Britain, we anticipated that our crew would possess a far more intimate 

 acquaintance with the nature of the bottom in their home waters than 

 proved to be the case. In poiat of fact their knowledge was merely 



1 The following year Mr. Walker obtained several species of Crustacea in 20 

 fms. at the mouth of Doulus Bay by using a bottom townet attached to a -weighted 

 iron rake (a stone is equally efficacious on rough ground), a combination, which 

 may be worked with good effect on any kind of bottom. 



• Subsequent information regarding her efficiency make it doubtful -whether this- 

 "Was after all a great misfortune. 



