Dakin and Latarche — The Plankton of Lough Neagh. 33 



to thank Professor Lemmerman of Bremen and Mr. Scourlield for help in 



contirmatiou of systematic work, and Mr. Whitehouse of Belfast for help on 



various occasions.' 



Lough Neagh. 



Lough ISTeagli, the largest lake in the British Isles, is a rectangular-shaped 

 expanse of water, with a superficial area of 153 square miles. It is situated 

 due west of Belfast, and about 13 miles distant from that town. It has its 

 greatest area in Antrim ; but Tyrone, Armagh, and Londonderry also contain 

 some more or less considerable part of the lake. It lies in a depression, but a 

 shallow depression only, and over the greatest part of its area the depth 

 averages only 40 feet. The depth, as a matter of fact, is remarkably uniform. 

 The maximum depth of 102 feet is attained in a narrow depression, which is a 

 kind of continuation of the Eiver Bann. The length of the lake is 17 miles, 

 the breadth 10 miles. Thus, looking across from shore to shore, the opposite 

 banks appear far distant, and often, on misty days, are out of sight. This is 

 so accentuated by the lowness of the banks that a view is often obtained which 

 is probably seen nowhere else in the British Isles. Thus one stands looking 

 out across a fresh-water lake which appears to extend far beyond the horizon. 

 This idea of great size is often increased by the great waves, due to the 

 possibility of the wind blowing unhindered down and across miles of water. 

 Lough Neagh is certainly a characteristic lake. Its low-lying shores, however, 

 have robbed it of the beauty of the Scottish or English lakes. Its storms do 

 not encourage the tourist to visit its waters. There are very few islands, and 

 these are small. The following figures will give a relative idea of its size, 

 cojnpared with that of some famous lakes : — 

 Lough Neagh, . area, 153 square miles. 

 Lake Superior, . „ 31,200 „ „ 



Loch Lomond, • „ 27 „ „ 



Lake Geneva, . „ 225 ,, „ 



Lough Neagh, . depth average, 40 feet. Maximum, 102 feet. 

 Lake Superior, .....: „ 1,008 „ 



Loch Lomond, . . . . . . „ 623 „ 



Lake Geneva, . . . . . . „ 1,015 „ 



Loch Ness (Scotland), „ 754 „ 



Lough Neagh, . volume of water, 161,000 million cubic feet. 

 Lake Superior, . ,. „ „ 413,000,000 „ „ „ 



Loch Lomond, . „ „ „ 93,000 „ „ „ 



Lake Geneva, . „ „ „ 3,175,000 „ 



Loch Ness, . . „ „ „ 263,000 „ 



' Professor Karl Pearson very kindly made suggestions concerning certain biometrical calculations. 



