

SEA-FISHERIES LABQBATOBY, 121 



There is some reason to believe that, as a result of the 

 general drift of the surface waters of the Atlantic and the 

 shape and direction of the openings to the Irish Sea, more 

 water passes out by the North Channel than enters that 

 way, and more water enters by the South (St. George's) 

 Channel than passes back, and that consequently there is, 

 irrespective of the tides, a slow current passing. from south 

 to north through our district. The fact that. so. many of 

 our drift bottles have crossed the " head of the tide " from 

 S. to N., and that of those which have gone out of our 

 district nearly all have gone north to the Clyde sea-area 

 supports this view, which I learn from Admiral Wharton 

 is a 'priori probable, and which is believed in by Mr. 

 Ascroft and other nautical men in the district from their 

 experience of the drift of wreckage. 



It may be objected to our observations by means of 

 drift bottles that they are largely influenced by the wind 

 and waves, and are not carried entirely by tidal streams. 

 Well, that is an advantage rather than any objection to 

 the method. For our object is to determine not the tidal 

 currents alone but the resulting effect upon small surface 

 organisms such as floating fish eggs, embryos and fish food, 

 of all the factors which can influence their movements, 

 including prevalent winds. The only factors which can 

 vitiate our conclusions are unusual gales or any other quite 

 exceptional occurrences, and the only way to eliminate 

 such inflaences is (1) to allow for them so far as they are 

 known from the weather reports, and (2) to employ a 

 large number of drift bottles and continue the observations 

 over a considerable time. We have carefully considered 

 the bearing of the weather records, and we think that 

 the large number of bottles we have made use of, dining 

 the year, ought to enable us to come to some definite 

 results, Our conclusions so far (J miliary , 1 81)6) then are ; — 



