SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 175 



Of course it would be desirable, were it possible, 

 that no crude sewage, nor even purified effluent, should 

 find its way to any shell-fish bed ; but when one considers 

 the dense population of the littoral of Lancashire, it is 

 evident that, with our present knowledge and appliances, 

 the ideal of removing all sewage, so that no trace of it or 

 of its organisms can reach the shell-fish beds, is quite 

 unattainable. 



Hitherto our bacteriological work had been mainly 

 on Oysters and Mussels, but about this time, 1907-8, Mr. 

 Johnstone commenced a systematic examination of the 

 Cockle beds on the Lancashire littoral, and made various 

 inspections, analyses and reports (see our Annual Report 

 for 1908). The methods of observation and investigation 

 are described in detail in order that future examinations 

 of these and other beds in the district may be conducted 

 on the same lines, so that the results may be comparable. 



As a result, the numbers of the " coli " group of 

 organisms per cockle, in the six chief beds examined, 

 were found to be as follows : — 



Ansdell 



.. 1,915 



Silverdale 



28 



Formby 



272 



Flookburgh 



17 



Leasowe 



60 



Southport 



12 



The cockles from Ansdell are seriously polluted. 

 Formby is a doubtful case, perhaps Leasowe is also ; 

 but the others are so slightly affected that probably the 

 few organisms present represent merely the general dis- 

 tribution of " coli " in our coastal waters, and have no 

 harmful significance. A thorough investigation of the 

 distribution of the colon bacillus in the coastal waters 

 of the Irish Sea would be of great interest and practical 

 value. 



About this time, the late Dr, H, Timbrell Bulstrode, 



