508 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



" RESULTS OF AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DRIFT 

 OF THE IRISH SEA." 



The fourth meeting of the Winter Session was held in the 



Museum on 19th February, presided over by Mr. Nevin H. 



Foster, Vice-President. The usual science gossip half-hour 



was held between 7-30 and 8 o'clock, during which Mr. Robert 



Patterson, M.R.I. A., exhibited and described different parts of 



the anatomy of the whale which was stranded on Magilligan 



sands a few months ago, a most amusing account of a visit to 



which appeared in the " Northern Whig " recently. At eight 



o'clock Mr. Charles M. Cunningham delivered his lecture on 



" Results of an Investigation of the Drift of the Irish Sea," 



illustrated by a number of very interesting limelight views. He 



said that for a considerable time past he had been conducting 



a series of experiments with bottles and other objects to obtain 



a knowledge of the drift of the Irish Sea. He undertook the 



work on behalf of the Ulster Fisheries and Biology Association 



of Larne, and it was mainly carried out by the use of a bottle 



5 Vq, inches long by i ^ inch wide, with a capacity of 2 fluid 



ounces. This bottle was carefully adjusted to float upright 



with only the cork exposed to the wind. Other materials were 



introduced to eliminate results that might be due to the special 



material chosen. Each bottle contained a post-card to be 



returned by the person finding it. The bottles were distributed 



from steamers at suitable points, the area covered being from 



Arran in the Firth of Clyde to the Scilly Islands. The period 



of observation lasted from June 12th, 1903, tO' December 31st, 



1906. 607 cards were returned, or practically 50 per cent, of 



the number sent out. 473 had travelled northwards, 128 had 



gone southwards, 457 were found on the British Coast, and 145 



on the Irish Coast. One was found north of Trondhjem, in 



Norway, two were found on the Dutch Coast and two in 



Brittany. The general conclusions arrived at are — that there 



is a strong northward drift throughout the year, modified by a 



southward drift during the months of March, April, May, and 



June. Six returns from deep-drift instruments indicate a 



stationary condition at the bottom. The lecturer had evidently 



devoted a considerable amount of time and trouble to his 



