272 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



During the past year an important paper on the seasonal 

 changes of salinity in the Irish Sea has been published by 

 D. J. Matthews (Fisheries, Ireland, Sci. Invest., 1913, IV 

 [1914]). It is based on the hydrographic work carried out by 

 the Irish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



Matthews shows that there is a general northward flow 

 of water through the Irish Sea, thus confirming the conclusions 

 drawn by myself in a paper on " The flow of water through the 

 Irish Sea," published in the Lanes. Sea- Fish. Lab. Report for 

 1909 (also Trans. Biological Soc. Liverpool, Vol. 24, 1910). 



As regards the hydrographic conditions in the mouth of 

 the Bristol Channel, Matthews holds different views from those 

 expressed by myself in the above-mentioned paper. Perhaps 

 he is right, but, as he practically admits himself, further work 

 is necessary to settle the point. 



I must, however, protest against the manner in which 

 Matthews has referred to a paper by Nielsen (Meddelelser fra 

 Kommissionen for Havundersogelser : Hydrografi, Vol. 1, No. 9, 

 Copenhagen, 1907), in such a way that it appears to give 

 support to his own assumption of an eddy-like circulation of 

 the water in the mouth of the Bristol Channel. 



Nielsen originally concluded that " all around Ireland 

 there flows a current in an anticy clonic direction." He says 

 also (loc. cit., p. 25) that " the north-going current, west of 

 Ireland, sends a branch around the north coast of the island 

 and down through the Irish Channel, so that this island has 

 a coast current in an anticyclonic direction like Iceland, 

 Scotland, etc." He came to this conclusion largely owing to 

 a paper by Matthews (Report on the Physical Conditions in the 

 English Channel, 1903. First Report of the North Sea Fisheries 

 Investigation Committee [southern area] London, 1905), in 

 which hydrographic results obtained off the south of Ireland 

 and in the English Channel were interpreted as indicating a 

 southerly flow of water from the Irish Sea. 



