102 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
has been occupied in an analysis of such data, both his own 
and those of previous observers, and the results will be found 
in his article on the subject in this report. His object has 
been to investigate the extent to which statistical methods 
can be used to compare the various samples already examined, 
and to estimate their reliability. This necessitates the separate 
examination and mathematical investigation of the data 
obtained from each sample, and then comparison with each 
other, in many cases a difficult and tedious operation. 
During the past year war conditions and adverse weather 
have prevented us from obtaining adequate samples from 
the herring fisheries in the Irish Sea. Durmg the summer 
fishery off the South of the Isle of Man one good sample was 
obtained from Port Erin, and this was examined and recorded. 
Arrangements had been made to procure further samples 
from this fishery, but these broke down on account of the 
unfavourable weather. From the winter fishery off the Welsh 
coast only two small samples could be obtained, and these 
have been examined, and the records, along with those of 
previous years, are retained for further consideration when 
larger and more numerous samples can be secured. 
Mr. Riddell’s investigation, so far as it goes, tends to 
show that more than one race of herrings enter the Irish Sea, 
and that those of the summer fishery off the South of the 
Isle of Man differ in character from those of the winter fishery 
off the Welsh coast. It is clear, however, that the examination 
of further samples and additional research is necessary before 
these important herring questions can be considered definitely 
settled. It must be remembered that similar work is being 
carried out by other investigating authorities for the Board 
of Agriculture and Fisheries, and that all the results obtained, 
both here and elsewhere, will have to be collated and compared 
in order to work out a complete and consistent history of 
the herring fisheries in British seas during the year. 
