SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 133 
the absence of factory experiments (and of competition from 
more carefully thought-out Continental and American factories), 
these products are hardly lkely to improve. This, however, 
is a matter with which we have little to do here, except in so 
far as scientific research, which is intended to be industrial 
in its applications, ought to consider factors apparently 
unrelated to it as pure scientific research. 
Details of processing do, however, improve a naturally 
poor raw material—fat-poor herrings or sprats for instances— 
and some English tinned herrings are certainly very superior 
products. Then the maturation certamly leads to a better 
product. Why? Why should a naturally fat-rich fish make 
a good article and wice versa? Why cannot the missing fat 
be supplied in the added oil 2 What is the nature of the inter- 
action between the proteid and fat of fish flesh, an interaction 
suggested by the observations recorded here ? These questions 
are very interesting and answers to them might react usefully 
on the factory processes at present employed. 
