SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 145 



REPORT ON THE HYDROGRAPHIC WORK IN 

 THE IRISH SEA DURING 1911. 



By Henry Bassett, Jun., D.Sc., 

 Professor of Chemistry, Univ. College, Reading. 



During 1911 considerable difficulty has been 

 experienced in carrying out the hydrographic work in 

 the Irish Sea. Samples were collected from the seven 

 stations on the lines, Piel Gas Buoy — Calf of Man, and 

 Calf of Man — Holyhead, on February 1st, June 12-13, 

 and October 24-25; and from Stations V, YI and YII 

 on December 10th. The June samples were collected as 

 a sort of compromise for those which should have been 

 collected in May and August, during which months 

 it was found impossible, for various reasons, to carry out 

 hydrographic cruises. 



The observations made have, however, been 

 sufficient to show that the state of the water in our area 

 during 1911 was quite different from that found during 

 the two preceding years, 1909 and 1910, and more like that 

 found during 1907 and 1908 (with a probable difference 

 which will be referred to presently). Here, again, we 

 apparently have that intimate connection between the 

 salinities (that is to say, the state of the Gulf Stream 

 Drift) and meteorological conditions to which attention 

 has been drawn in the last two reports. It is hardly 

 necessary to point out that the brilliant dry summer of 

 L911 differed completely from the miserable wet ones of 

 1909 and 1910. 



Table I, which summarises the salinities at the 

 Stations, Y, YI and YII from the commencement of our 

 observations in July, 1906, is instructive. As has been 

 shown previously, these are the only ones of our Stations 

 which are affected by the Gulf Stream Drift — the effect of 



