SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 115 



wise, which might influence the movements of fish food 

 and fish embryos, was fully explained. Since September, 

 1894, this work has been going on actively, and at the 

 end of about twelve months over one thousand drift 

 bottles in all had been set free. Many of them have 

 been let out at intervals of ten minutes, or quarter of an 

 hour, or twenty minutes (corresponding to distances of 

 from 3 to 6 miles apart) from the Isle of Man boats when 

 crossing between Liverpool and Douglas — a very con- 

 venient line of 75 miles across the middle of the widest 

 part of our area, traversing the "head of the tide" or 

 meeting place of the tidal currents entering by St. George's 

 Channel and the North Channel. Others have been let 

 off from Mr. Alfred Holt's steamers, in going round from 

 Liverpool to Holyhead and in coming down from Greenock. 

 Mr. Dawson on the Fisheries steamer "John Fell" has 

 distributed a number along the coast in various parts of 

 the district, and the Fisheries bailiffs have let off some 

 dozens from their small boats. Other series have been 

 set free at stated intervals during the rise and fall of the 

 tide from the Morecambe Bay Light Vessel in the 

 northern part of our area, north of the " head of the tide ; " 

 and, through the kindness of Lieutenant M. Sweny, E.N., 

 a similar periodic distribution has taken place from the 

 Liverpool North- West Light Vessel, to the south of the 

 " head of the tide." Others, finally, have been despatched 

 by Mr. Kobert Harley, by Mr. E. L. Ascroft, by Mr. 

 Andrew Scott and a few friends in other parts of the area 

 from small boats and on our dredging expeditions, in some 

 cases between the Isle of Man and Ireland. Altogether 

 we have pretty well covered tliis northern area of the 

 Irish Sea in our distribution of floating bottles. 



Mr. Ascroft has also let off fifty larger and heavier 

 bottles, champagne quarts weighted with sand so as to 



