Miscellaneous. 317 



particles, the water becomes unfit for domestic pur- 

 poses, and it defies the power of filtration, soon clog- 

 ging up the pores of filters. Fish become sickly in it, 

 and in some instances die, and in others are easily 

 caught. 



"A Mr. Southwell relates that in a lake of about five 

 acres, in very hot weather in June, the lake broke, and 

 there shortly appeared on the surface large numbers of 

 eels, which attracted the attention of the villagers, who 

 took to the boats, and with spears and other implements 

 many were captured, quite in a sickly and stupefied 

 condition. 



"This condition of things continues in varying peri- 

 ods from a few days to months. After a time the water 

 emits a very putrid odor from the decomposition of 

 the green particles. In Copmere last year the turbidity 

 commenced about the middle of July, and it was not 

 until the middle of October that it subsided, after which 

 the mere cleared and seemed to have undergone a veri- 

 table purification by the process, so much so that it 

 conveys the impression of being a sanitation of Nature 

 to purify the silted organic deposits which almost fill 

 these meres. 



"Copmere was about fourteen days before the de- 

 composition of the green scum set in ; the surface of 

 the water then began to give off a putrid odor. The 

 prevelence of these green appearances is variable. 

 They disappear and reappear, and occur in greater 

 quantities in various parts of the Shropshire meres, but 

 in Copmere last year they were generally diflfused 

 throughout. * * * Copmere did not break in 

 1895, it remained very clear all summer and autumn ; 

 but a very singular fact is connected with this excep- 

 tion of breaking, in that a great quantity of fish died 



