192 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



In this case the water of the Estuary contained, at 

 the worst place sampled, 156 intestinal bacteria per c.c. ; 

 and, on the average, 35 per c.c. 



Judged, then, by such standards the mussels taken 

 from the Wyre near Fleetwood Docks, and from the 

 channel at Wardley's, do not appear to be dangerously 

 polluted; and the water in the lower reach of the 

 estuary is also passably clean. Two matters, however, 

 appear to require special consideration. These are : — 



(1) The pollution of the Estuary at Wardley's. 



It will be seen that the average number of 

 intestinal bacteria contained in the surface water near 

 the Wardley's Ferry is too high to be neglected. At 

 this point the influence of the pollution from Poulton, 

 and that of the outfall sewer at Peg's Pool, are felt. 

 Nevertheless, the mussels taken from the bottom of the 

 channel at Wardley's are very similar as regards 

 contamination to those from further down the Estuary. 

 The sample taken was practically fresh water, and the 

 sewage probably floats on the surface and may not 

 generally come in actual contact with the mussels on the 

 bottom of the channel. The mussels on the foreshore 

 near low water mark may, at times, give evidence of 

 more serious pollution, but it does not appear that these 

 are taken for immediate marketable purposes. The 

 conditions at this part of the Estuary might be improved 

 if the Poulton sewage were intercepted and discharged 

 for a short time only at the beginning of ebb tide. It 

 would then be greatly diluted and would not seriously 

 affect the shell-fish at the bottom of the channel. So 

 far as the results of these analyses go there does not 

 appear to be much danger of pollution by the Poulton 

 sewage, but nevertheless the relatively high bacterial 



